Prisoner 5273
by snapefan520
Summary: Hermione Granger is sentenced to three years in Azkaban for obliviating her parents. After losing everyone she cares about, she wants to give up on life until she meets someone who gives her hope. Post DH, canon except Snape lives, EWE. Very dark, brief mentions of suicide. Rated M for language and violent situations.
1. Prologue

_**I do not own any part of the Harry Potter universe. It all belongs to JK Rowling, and I make nothing from this.**_

_**A/N...I was going to wait until I was finished with NUO to post this, but I am going to go ahead and post it just to see what everyone thinks. I have three chapters already written, and it is very dark. Please review and tell me what you think!**_

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Prologue

_July 15th, 2000_

"Hermione Jean Granger, please rise."

The disheveled, young woman with unkempt hair slowly stood up, unshed tears visible in her eyes. She glanced back at the older couple behind her, noticing the stoic expressions on their faces. She breathed deeply to steady her emotions, then glanced up at the Wizengamot.

"You are hereby sentenced to three years in Azkaban for being found guilty of the following charges: Unauthorized spell use on muggles, unauthorized use of memory charms and or obliviation, and breaking the Statute of Secrecy."

She started sobbing uncontrollably, then looked back again at the older couple seated behind her. "Mum, Dad...I am so sorry."

She noticed that they would not look her in the eyes as she was led out of the courtroom. She looked over at those who had supported her during the trial...Harry, most of the Weasley family, and Minerva McGonnagal. They simply gave her sad looks as she was escorted to the hallway of the Ministry of Magic.

Two large men in Azkaban robes approached her, and she knew it was almost time to leave.

"Miss Granger, your wand will be kept locked up in the ministry until a time it is deemed appropriate to return it to you. We will be putting magical shackles on your wrists and ankles until we arrive at Azkaban. At that time they will be removed since Azkaban is under enchantment to prevent any accidental magic."

One of the men pointed his wand at her robes, and spoke a soft incantation. She watched her robes as they slowly changed color to the orange prison robes of Azkaban. She looked at her robe and noticed it now had a number on it.

She was no longer Hermione Granger, she was prisoner 5273.

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_**A/N...Please review! I'm hoping this is somewhat original..at least I've never read one where Hermione was the one going to Azkaban. **_


	2. Chapter 1

_**The usual disclaimer applies. I own nothing and make nothing.**_

_**A/N...Thank you for all the awesome reviews! There are some extensive notes following this chapter to answer some questions in the reviews or P.M.s**_

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Chapter 1

As the guards led her into Azkaban, she suddenly felt a cold shiver. Although the dementors were no longer guarding the prison, their presence left a permanent mark. Azkaban was cold, dark, and dreary...and she had no idea if she would survive the next three years.

As she was led through the corridors to her cell, she could hear the taunts of the other prisoners. Some were making crude gestures as well, and she tried to ignore them.

"Well, well...if it isn't the bitch of the 'Golden Trio'."

"Maybe I can finally get me a piece of Gryffindor arse."

"How the mighty Princess of Gryffindor has fallen."

"Hmm...not so perfect now, little Gryffindor slut."

She tried to hold her head up high, but inside she was falling apart. She still couldn't believe that she would be in prison with the likes of Death Eaters and Voldemort sympathizers. She would occasionally glance at the prisoners as she walked by, looking at the long hair, usually in dreadlocks after being unkempt for so long, and scruffy beards. The smell coming from the cells was almost unbearable. She wondered how often she would be allowed a shower.

As she was led down another wing towards her own room, she heard a gasp from one of the cells. She looked over to see who it was, since he seemed to be the only one not taunting her.

She noticed he was a tall, thin man with tattered robes, who had obviously been incarcerated for quite a while. His long, matted black hair hung down to his waist, and his beard was black except for a few white streaks. As she looked into his obsidian eyes, she gasped when she realised who it was.

"Professor Snape," she whispered quietly.

He nodded ever so slightly to acknowledge her, then hung his head downward as he returned to the back of his cell.

She was led past three more cells before one of the guards waved his wand at a door, then pushed her into it. She felt her arms and ankles release from the binding spell as she stepped further into the room. The room was only about the size of a small bedroom, and only had a bed and a toilet inside. The bed had only a small, dirty, thin mattress on it, and there were no pillows or sheets. The toilet was filthy, but she would have no choice but to use it. The only other thing in the room was a very small window near the ceiling.

She laid down on the bed as all of her emotions suddenly overwhelmed her. This would be her home for the next three years. She pulled her knees to her chest and sobbed uncontrollably until sleep slowly overtook her.

-ooOOoo-

_She pointed her wand at the stunned couple, and loudly said "Restituo Memoria". She watched the dazed couple as they slowly regained consciousness._

"_Hermione? Hermione is that you?"_

"_You remember me? Oh, thank goodness it worked."_

_She watched her parents as they stared at the house they had been living in for the past two years. They looked around the sitting room, and she watched as the looks of confusion slowly turned to rage._

"_What did you do to us?" Her father's anger was increasing by the minute._

"_I'm...I'm so sorry. I had to make sure you were safe. I took away all of your memories of me, then let you move to Australia. Once the war was over, I came as soon as I could to restore them."_

_Her mother looked at her, cold fury in her eyes. "Get out. Get out now."_

"_What? You don't mean that, do you?"_

"_Get out, before we call the police," her father spoke sternly._

"_No, please, no," she sobbed as she walked out the door._

Hermione woke up suddenly, sweat beading on her brow. She had only been here for one day, and the nightmares had already started. She knew it would not take long now that she had no access to the dreamless sleep potion.

She sat up on her pitiful excuse for a bed, and looked up at the tiny window, where she could just barely see a couple of stars.

"Why," she muttered softly to herself. She shook her head slightly and thought of how different her life was now. Everything changed when she restored her parents memories. She lost them and she lost Ron all within a span of a couple of months. Not only did her parents not forgive her, but they went to a wizarding barrister to press charges in the magical world. Ron had broken up with her shortly after. Now she sat in prison, where she would be for the next three years. Parole was practically unheard of in the magical world. It no longer mattered that she was part of the 'Golden Trio', she was now just prisoner 5273, just another prisoner at Azkaban.

-ooOOoo-

She felt like she had only been asleep for minutes, when she heard the door open to her cell.

"Wake up now, it is time for your shower."

"I don't want a shower, go away," her voice cracking as she spoke.

"Fine, just remember you won't get another one for two weeks." The guard started to walk off, but then stopped as she yelled, "Wait, I'm coming."

She was walked down a hallway until she reached a room with a female guard standing outside. The guard looked her up and down, then muttered quietly, "Oh, how the mighty have fallen."

The guard then spoke loudly to her, this time meant for her to hear.

"You have ten minutes, and that includes getting dressed. A clean robe is on the bench beside the shower stall."

"What about shaving? How am I supposed to shave?"

"You aren't. Muggle razors are not allowed, and shaving spells are forbidden. Get used to it."

Hermione walked quickly to the shower, and noticed that not only was there no shampoo, there wasn't a towel either. All that was in the shower was a bar of soap, and another prison robe with her number on it.

She turned on the water, and it was barely lukewarm. She scrubbed her body and her hair just as quickly as possible, then threw the robes on her wet body.

She walked down the corridor towards her cell, almost in a trance. She didn't know if she was going to be able to survive living like this for the next three years. _What do I have to go back to once I leave? No family, no boyfriend, and no home. _

As the guard pushed her into her cell, she looked at the breakfast that was waiting for her. A glass of water, and two badly burned slices of toast. She stared at the toast for several minutes before finally picking them up and walking towards the toilet. She crumbled the toast into it, and then flushed, watching the food go down the drain.

_I will not be here the next three years, I'd rather be dead. _She laid down on the bed, curled into herself, and slowly cried herself to sleep.

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_**A/N...Okay, here goes. Yes, Azkaban is something out of the dark ages. But if you saw Sirius or Bellatrix in the movies, I'd say my view isn't too far off. Most of the wizarding world is somewhat Victorian in nature, and I'm guessing the prison would be as well. Prison isn't supposed to be a picnic (like it is in the US...but I digress).**_

_**And to have Hermione go to prison, despite being part of the 'Golden Trio'...well, she committed a crime, her parents wanted her accountable. In the real world, crimes wouldn't be overlooked just because you are famous or are a hero (or at least they shouldn't be).**_

_**It seems that Hermione's parents either easily forgave her, never recovered their memories, or refused to talk to her in all the ff that I have read. I wanted her to actually be accountable for her actions.**_

_**Whew...that was long, sorry! Next update won't be until after I get back from my vacation, so probably almost two weeks.**_


	3. Chapter 2

_**The usual disclaimer applies...**_

_**A/N... Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! I can't believe I have more than 30 in just the first two chapters. **_

_**WARNING: This chapter has several mentions of suicide. I consider this a very adult topic, and that is one of the main reasons for the M rating of this story. Please abide by ff's rules and only read this if you are old enough in your country to do so. Thank you.**_

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Chapter 2

Hermione sat in the small courtyard and tried to soak in as much fresh air as possible. Being a low security prisoner, she was allowed one hour a week outside. She tried to stay awake and enjoy being outside, but she was just so weak. She had now gone three days without eating, and she was hoping it wouldn't take long to succumb to illness. _And hopefully it will progress quickly from illness to death. _She had always thought that those who committed suicide were either being selfish or were cowards, but now she could understand that in some situations death was preferable to living. Now that she had death as an option, she preferred it to spending the next three years in Azkaban. _With nothing to return to when I leave. _She had almost dozed off when she heard footsteps approach her. She slowly opened her eyes and turned her gaze towards the inmate walking towards her.

"They won't let you starve to death. You'll only end up in the infirmary until you are well enough to go back to your cell. Eat," he reached his pale hand toward her, offering a small badly-bruised apple.

She looked at him and paled. He might still sound like her Professor, but his eyes were devoid of emotion.._.dead. _Just like her own.

"How did-"

"How do you think?" He quirked an eyebrow at her. For a small moment, she noticed just a spark of life in his eyes, before he quickly schooled his expression back to ambivalent.

"Oh."

She was surprised when he sat down beside her, and even more surprised when he started to talk to her again.

"Why are you here, Miss Granger?" His voice was practically a hiss.

_I will not cry, I will not cry._ "I...I obliviated my parents and tampered with their memories."

"Surely the Ministry would have overlooked something like that in a time of war."

"Well...the Ministry probably would have overlooked it, but my parents pushed for charges to be filed."

"What?" He seemed genuinely shocked.

She was so weak that her voice was barely over a whisper. "They...they did not believe me when I told them their lives had been in danger; that I did it to protect them. They threw me out of their house after I restored their memories. When I went back to try to explain, they had me arrested for trespassing. I returned to London, and they filed charges with a barrister. The barrister then pressured the Ministry for my arrest for obliviating them."

"But they _were_ in danger. Several Death Eaters went to your house to murder you and your parents."

She knew if she continued this conversation, she would break down. "I...I don't want to talk about this anymore. It is in the past...it is done. I can't change anything now. I am here for three years and," she paused for a moment, "I guess I have no other option other than to accept it."

"That is wrong...you should not be here," he hissed.

She was about to reply when she saw the guard approach her to return her to her cell. She took one last look at him as the guard led her back, then spoke softly, "Neither should you."

-ooOOoo-

Hermione had only been asleep about an hour when she heard banging on her cell door. "Wake up, you have a visitor."

"A visitor?" She was so tired and groggy that she thought she surely must have misheard the guard. She had not had a single night with more than four hours of sleep since she arrived at Azkaban. Nightmares plagued her every night, and she was sure that she had only been asleep at most an hour when the guard arrived.

"Yes. I will take you to the visiting area. Your hands and ankles will be bound until your visitation has ended. I will be watching you from an adjoining room, so don't attempt anything. You will be stunned if you attempt an escape or try to harm your visitor."

She felt the tingle of the spell, then was led out of her cell. She was still weak from barely eating the past week, and still exhausted from the lack of sleep. She didn't pay any attention to where the guard was taking her, and was surprised when she was taken to a room much nicer than her cell.

She was staring down at her bound hands when she heard the door open. She didn't look up until she heard a gasp.

"Miss Granger? Hermione?"

She slowly looked up and into the eyes of one of the few people that supported her during the trial. Minerva McGonagall had always supported her; first during her years as a student at Hogwarts, and then as a friend and fellow Order member at her trial. As nice as it was to see a friendly face, she had nothing left to give. Why even attempt a smile when there was nothing left...no chance at parole, no one to go back to..._no hope._ In fact, she wondered why she even came to see her.

"Hello Professor McGonagall," she spoke in a lifeless voice.

"Oh, Hermione," she reached towards Hermione's hands, only to be blocked by a magical barrier. She looked at her pale, complexion and sunken eyes, then tears started to come down the older woman's face. "How are you holding up, my dear?"

"I am fine," Hermione whispered. Her voice was flat.

"No you are not!" Minerva's brogue was more noticeable as she raised her voice. "You have lost at least a stone. Do they not feed you?"

"I eat all that I want to eat. They will not let me starve to death." Her voice had a little more emotion to it, then she added quietly, _"I already tried."_

Minerva gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, in shock at Hermione's revelation. "Please, please don't give up Hermione. Harry and I are trying to get you an appeal; there are many people outraged that you are here."

Hermione stared at Minerva momentarily, then began speaking louder. "Why should I have any hope, Minerva? The Wizengamot has only granted one re-trial in the last twenty years, and there is no such thing as parole from Azkaban. What do I have to go home to when I do leave here in three years? My parents have disowned me and would probably rather I be dead, and Ron broke up with me the moment I was arrested. I have no one and nothing to return to...so why should I _not_ give up?"

Minerva pleaded with her, "You are young, Hermione. Three years is not that long in a witch or wizard's lifetime. You have people that care about you, and I'm sure that you could meet someone when you get out of here."

"And how many men would want to go out with a former convict? _Marry_ a former convict?"

Hermione couldn't take any more of this. She knew that Minerva meant well, but all that she was doing was reminding Hermione of what kind of life she would have if she left this place in three years. All it made her think about was finding a way to not be here the next three years. Surely there were other options than starving herself to death.

"Guard...Guard, I am finished with my visitor. Can you please escort me back to my cell?"

"Hermione, please!" Minerva pleaded with her as the guard entered the room.

"Goodby, Minerva," Hermione whispered as she was escorted out of the room.

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_**A/N...A little shorter than I was hoping for, but this is a good place to stop.**_

_**About the suicide mentioned in the story. I don't want lectures in the reviews about how depressing a story about suicide is. If it bothers you, please don't read any more. I know way more about this subject than I want to. I have had a very close family member commit suicide in the past few years. I am not condoning suicide in this story, but I do want to convey how someone could come to that decision. **_

_**I want you to see what state of mind Hermione is at the beginning of this story, because things do eventually look up. This chapter is about as rock-bottom as it gets...I promise, her state of mind does get better.**_


	4. Chapter 3

_**The usual dislcaimer applies...**_

_**A/N...I apologise profusely for the delay with this update. I had the worst writer's block, and it took me a while to post anything worth reading. I started, then deleted, this chapter at least three times. Hopefully it will be worth the wait.**_

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Chapter 3

Hermione slowly sat up in bed, and tried to rake her fingers through her hair like a brush. Despite only being here for two weeks..._or is it three, now._..she wondered; her hair had already formed some small mats, some almost like dreadlocks. Both hairbrushes and combs were forbidden since they could potentially be used as weapons. She snorted softly as she tried to visualise doing harm to herself or others with a hairbrush.

She had no idea what day it was until the guard knocked loudly on her door. "Courtyard time, if you want to go," a loud voice echoed in her cell. It was the third time she would get to go out since she had arrived here. _So...it must be two and a half weeks now_, she thought to herself.

"Coming," she managed to muster weakly.

As she walked through the corridors towards the only bit of sunlight she would see, she wondered whether she would see Professor Snape. A small part of her had actually looked forward to her outdoor time last week, until she noticed the hour had passed and she had been alone the entire time. She wondered whether he was allowed to go out once a week as she was, or whether his time was more limited.

She knew that he wasn't considered a maximum security prisoner since he was serving time for assisted suicide, rather than murder. She still thought it was quite unfair that he had to go prison at all, since he only acted on Dumbledore's orders. Like herself, he was a major player in the second wizarding war, and also like herself, he had been made an example by the Wizengamot. There was no way the Ministry was going to let him off the hook for killing, even if it was a mercy killing, the most popular headmaster that Hogwarts had ever had. Even the testimony of Harry Potter, using the memories from the Shrieking Shack, and the portrait of Albus Dumbledore couldn't get him an acquittal.

She sat down in a small patch of dirt that had a little bit of grass growing on it. Most of the courtyard was just bare soil, but she unconsciously gravitated towards the small amount of greenery. She stretched out her legs, and propped her arms behind her; trying to take in what little sun she could get. Her eyes had been closed less than five minutes when she noticed there was a shadow now blocking the sun. She looked up and saw the black, piercing eyes of Professor Snape.

"May I join you?" He asked politely, almost as if the conversation was happening anywhere but in Azkaban.

"Yes," she replied automatically. She glanced at him as he sat down beside her, sitting in a position similar to her own. She gasped slightly as he pulled a book from his robes and started reading.

"How...how did you get a book?" She knew that her mouth had to be gaping as she stared at him.

"We are allowed a few creature comforts, Miss Granger. Minerva gave it to me when she visited last week. We are allowed books as long as they are not magical, or about anything magical. They thoroughly check them before we are allowed to have them, however."

She looked at the title of the book, and couldn't help the snort that escaped her mouth. She tried to cover her mouth to stifle it, but it was too late. He looked up at her, faintly amused.

"Yes, the irony isn't lost on me, Miss Granger." He gently put down the battered copy of _Heart of Darkness_, and gave her a sharp look. "Speaking of Minerva...she was quite concerned after her visit with you. She thinks you are going to try..._something_ again." His voice had become quieter again, resembling the tone he had used in potions before issuing a detention or docking house points.

Hermione quickly looked away, knowing exactly what that s_omething_ was. "She knows that I cannot starve myself. We already had that conversation, Professor. I wanted her to leave, I did not want her pity or her trying to give me false reassurances about getting out of here."

"There are many ways other than starving yourself, Miss Granger. Please tell me, for your own sake, that you are no longer having those thoughts."

She quickly looked away from him and focused her gaze on the few blades of grass blowing in the light wind. Neither one spoke for several minutes, then she finally spoke, changing the conversation.

"Where were you last week? I...noticed you were gone." She didn't want to act like she missed him, but the truth was, she did...a little bit. He was the only person who would talk to her without animosity, and who treated her like a human being rather than a prisoner.

"I was...in the warden's office. It seems that the Ministry doesn't trust their own wards here at Azkaban, and wanted to make sure that I could not affect them wandlessly."

"How can they check that?" She blurted out without thinking.

"A combination of Legilimency, Veritaserum, and a potion that increases susceptibility to Veritaserum."

She had a disgusted look on her face as she processed the information. She then paused in thought for a moment, "Harry told me that you are a very good Occlumens, though."

His eyes came to life for a brief moment, and a smirk appeared in the corner of his mouth. "Yes, but the Ministry does not know that."

She smiled the first genuine smile since she had entered Azkaban. "So what did the warden see?"

"Only what I wanted him to see," he paused briefly, "But I have nothing to hide concerning the wards. I am good at wandless magic, but I am not _that_ good. The wards are easily strong enough to prevent any magic here without a wand."

Hermione had enjoyed the conversation more than she had expected, and hadn't realised the time was up until she saw a guard walking towards them in the courtyard. This time, it was the Professor's guard who came first, and she quickly rose to watch him leave. "Goodbye, Professor."

"Goodbye, Miss Granger."

-ooOOoo-

Hermione looked up from her bed towards the small window in her cell. She stared at the few stars she could see as she tried to get comfortable enough to go to sleep. Although going to sleep had been very difficult these past weeks due to the nightmares, tonight her insomnia was due to something totally different.

Today had been the first day that she had not thought about either harming herself or dying. It hadn't been an exceptional day, by any stretch of the imagination, but it had been better than most of the days that she had been in Azkaban. Her time in the courtyard had been...well, not exactly nice, but she had enjoyed the conversation with Professor Snape.

She had never thought much about the man while she was a student at Hogwarts. He was just the strict potions professor that disliked all things Gryffindor. She had respected him as a teacher, and tried to get the boys to respect him as well. Not that it ever worked. And once they were on the run in seventh year, they avoided talking about him while he was Headmaster. It would only cause heated discussions or arguments with Harry and Ron. It was only when they watched him almost die in the Shrieking Shack that she thought about him in any way other than just as a teacher. Harry had portrayed him as the tragic anti-hero after viewing his memories, and tried to convince the jury of that at his trial.

Talking to him today had been enlightening, and she noticed there was much more to him than she had ever realised. He wasn't just a former teacher or Death Eater-turned-spy, but he was a real person with various facets and emotions. She had never seen anything but coldness or ambivalence in his eyes as a student, but today she could see the humor in them when they talked about the book. And she swore she could almost see a trace of a smile on his face when they were talking about his skills as an Occlumens.

Although she only spent an hour talking to him in the courtyard, it had made the rest of the day bearable. She had no thoughts of self harm the rest of the day, and had even eaten more than she usually did. And most of all, she had actually smiled for the first time since she had been incarcerated.

Her last thought as she drifted off to sleep was that maybe, just maybe, she finally had a reason to survive the next three years.

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_**A/N...See, she is starting to have a better outlook. **_

_**I will try to update weekly, but if it is longer than that I will post a note in my profile or on my livejournal page. I will probably focus just a bit more on NUO since it is closer to being finished, then once it is done post updates more often here.**_


	5. Chapter 4

_**The usual disclaimer applies. I own nothing and make nothing; everything belongs to the very talented JK Rowling.**_

_**A/N...I apologise profusely for the delay in posting this chapter. Between writer's block and my muse insisting I work on NUO, it has been a rough few weeks. **_

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Chapter 4

Hermione ran her hands through the short stubble that was her hair. It had been shaved off, rather unnecessarily in her opinion, about two weeks ago when the lice outbreak had been detected. It didn't matter that she didn't actually have lice, or that if she did, they could have removed them with a spell. She rather thought that the shaving was meant to be a humiliation or a punishment.

She did not know what day it was, but she quickly figured it out when a guard rapt very loudly on her door. "You have a visitor. Back up to the door so your hands and ankles can be restrained."

She slowly turned around as she felt the tingle of the spell take hold. "Who is it?" She asked , although she knew the guards rarely responded to any of her questions.

She payed careful attention to the direction that they were heading. Unlike the last time she had a visitor, this time she was very alert. She had been sleeping better the past couple of weeks, and she had actually been making an effort to eat better, despite the poor quality of food.

She sat down at the table in the visitors room, and stared at the door wondering who would be visiting. She was pretty sure it was not Professor McGonagall after the way she had spoken to her the last visit. She was really hoping it was...

"Harry!" She yelled a little louder than she had meant to, making the guards jump and brandish their wands briefly.

"Hermione?" The look of shock was evident on his face. "Oh, God, Hermione...I'm sorry I haven't visited you sooner," he shook his head sadly.

"It's...it's okay, Harry," she smiled timidly at him. "I wasn't in a ...good...place earlier. Not that I am in a good place now, but I am better. If you had tried to visit a few weeks ago, I probably would have refused your visit. My visit with Professor McGonagall didn't go well when she was here several weeks ago."

"Still-," he started, but he just kept looking at her hair.

"Oh, this?" She rubbed her hand across the top of her head. "Apparently everyone gets their head shaved when there is a lice outbreak. It will grow out," she said nonchalantly.

He intertwined his hands and began twisting his fingers. It was a nervous habit that Hermione had noticed years before, and now she knew there was something uncomfortable that he was going to tell her. "What is it that you are not telling me, Harry?"

"Well...did Professor McGonagall mention anything to you about getting you a retrial?"

Hermione's expression went back to neutral as she stoically replied, "Yes, she did. And no, I'm not expecting a retrial. The Wizengamot wanted to make an example of me to show how different they are now that Voldemort isn't in charge. I'm sure that sentencing for crimes against Muggles is something the new administration is proud of, not something they would overturn."

"Oh...er...okay," Harry spoke nervously. "Then I suppose it won't surprise you that you did not get a retrial. Not only that, but they are processing more Muggleborn wizards that tried to protect their families using magic. They are taking it to the extreme," he nodded his head sadly.

"I'm not surprised," Hermione grimaced slightly, "It is a slippery slope once you convict the first case. I wouldn't be surprised if they start convicting for a lot of things done in the war that were illegal, even if they were to protect love ones or friends."

The tension had increased in the room ten-fold from the serious conversation, and they both just stared at each other for a few minutes.

Harry finally spoke first, "How are you Hermione? How are you really?"

She sighed and fidgeted slightly, "I'm not good Harry...and as long as I am here it won't be good. But I am coping now, taking it one day at a time. I've been reading books, believe it or not, that Professor Snape has been giving me. Professor McGonagall brings him books on his visits, and he passes them to me in the courtyard when I happen to see him."

Harry looked surprised, "Snape? I'm surprised after the way he treated us at Hogwarts that you talk to each other."

Hermione smiled slightly, "Yeah, me too. But he was so surprised to see me here, and we talked the first week I was here when I had pretty much given up on living," she paused for a second when Harry had gasped, "Believe it or not, he is the reason I am coping better. He actually listens to me, and is the only other person here who will talk to me. I don't think anyone else talks to him, either."

At that moment, Hermione realised the visit was over as the guard walked towards the table. As Harry headed towards the door, he gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm glad you are doing better, even if it is Snape that I have to thank for it."

-ooOOoo-

Hermione shivered slightly as she sat in the courtyard, reading the battered copy of _The Catcher in the Rye_ by Salinger. It was only the second book that Professor Snape had given her in the courtyard, but she was beginning to wonder if he requested only disturbing or depressing books from Professor McGonagall.

As another cool breeze hit her again, she wondered how many more visits she would be allowed in the courtyard before it was too cold. Would they provide her a coat or cloak, or would visits cease once autumn was here. It was only mid-August, but the weather was quickly changing already.

She had just unfolded the crease in the page to begin reading, when she saw Professor Snape approaching her. She gasped slightly as she glanced at him, still not used to his hair being shaved as well. His hair had been shorn about the same time as hers, but it still looked so strange to her to see him without his long, lank locks. He looked older, and more haggard...and definitely less intimidating.

"Have you finished the book?" He asked her in the velvet tones she had remembered from Hogwarts.

"Not yet," she replied courteously. "I had a visitor this week, and was too distracted to read much."

"Minerva?"

Hermione shook her head sheepishly, "No, I think she might still be mad at me after the last visit. Actually, it was Harry."

Professor Snape's eyebrows rose slightly, before he schooled his expression to neutral once again. "Potter? That is surprising."

"Why would it be surprising?" She asked sharply. "He is my best friend, and one of the few people that supported me in my trial."

"I suppose it shouldn't be too surprising, then," he sighed slightly as he changed positions beside her, "It is...difficult to change opinions of someone after years of mutual animosity. Potter...Harry...is not his father, despite the uncanny resemblance. I've had plenty of time to think about it since I have been here, and it puts everything in perspective."

Hermione was surprised by his candidness. "I know what you mean...about perspective. Harry had told me that I wasn't going to get a retrial, and that many more wizards and witches were going to be tried for crimes against Muggles. And most of them are Muggleborn. I didn't even lose my temper...it just wasn't worth it when I can't do anything about it anyway."

"The Ministry is making a huge mistake, but it won't realise it for many years, I'm afraid. They were so upset after the war, they are trying too hard to make amends. All they are doing is making it much worse. Muggleborns are going to be terrified to even visit their families for fear of accidentally performing magic and being prosecuted. They are segregating the Muggleborns just like the Dark Lord had, only in a different way," he shook his head sadly.

After a few moments of silence, he looked over at her book. "How close are you to being finished? I brought another book that I am finished with."

She quickly flipped the book open and glanced at the pages, "Maybe another twenty pages or so? What book did Professor McGonnagal bring this time?"

"_The Prince,"_ he mumbled as he handed her the book.

"Hmm...Machiavelli, why am I not surprised?"

He smirked at her, then noticed the guard slowly walking towards them.

"Thank you, Professor Snape," she smiled slightly as he walked away.

He nodded, then quickly added, "I'm not your Professor anymore. You can call me Severus."

She smiled as she watched him leave the courtyard. _Yes, things are definitely getting better._

* * *

_**A/N...Just so you know, the story will start moving quicker from this point on. The story will skip weeks and months at a time ( a necessity since it is set in prison). So, I anticipate it being shorter than my other stories. But we will see...sometimes my muse surprises me ;)**_


	6. Chapter 5

_**The usual disclaimer applies. I own nothing and make nothing- everything belongs to the talented JK Rowling.**_

_**A/N...Sorry for the delay in posting. I had a killer case of writers' block.**_

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Chapter 5

Hermione walked quietly towards the visitor's area, shivering slightly as the cold drafts in the corridors permeated her robes. It was only late September, but it already felt like November in Azkaban. Although the prison provided heavier robes in the colder weather, they couldn't get rid of the chill that not only came from the dropping temperatures, but the dementors lasting effects as well.

She sat down in the uncomfortable chair, and watched as the door slowly opened. She had been expecting a visit from Harry, but was surprised when Professor McGonagall walked in.

The surprise must have been evident on her face, as the older woman spoke to her. "You seem surprised to see me, Hermione. Harry had given me the impression that you were up to visitors now."

"I-I am. I am just surprised that you would come see me after-after your last visit," Hermione replied sheepishly. She was still very ashamed of how she had acted the last time the Professor had visited her.

"Harry told me of his visit, and I had assumed it would be- safe- to visit you now. Even Severus had commented that you were doing better," Minerva reached towards Hermione, but stopped as one of the guards gave her a warning look.

"Yes...I am doing much better. I am not surprised that you spoke to Harry about me, but I am surprised that Severus," she blushed slightly, "er-Professor Snape, spoke about me."

Minerva noticed the discomfort in her former student, but spoke reassuringly none the less, "Well, I visit Severus weekly. He was much like you when he was first incarcerated, but after the first few visits when he had me thrown out," she smiled genuinely at Hermione, "he finally accepted that I would be a regular visitor. I started bringing him books to read, and he finally started opening up to me."

"Oh-," Hermione started, but she quickly stopped when she realised Professor McGonagall wasn't finished speaking.

"He told me that he has been loaning you his books. I'm actually quite surprised, you know. He rarely let anyone borrow his books at Hogwarts."

"They are his books?"

"Yes, I tried to salvage as much of his possessions as possible before they were auctioned off. It is a shame that he had no family to claim them before he was sentenced."

There were several minutes of silence when neither woman knew exactly what to say. Hermione finally broke the silence, "How is he, Minerva? I haven't seen him in a few weeks."

"I assume he is fine, not that he would ever tell me. We usually discuss happenings at Hogwarts, and occasionally his books. Very rarely does he ever speak of himself." She stopped for a moment, a thoughtful expression on her face, "I thought that you saw him every few weeks, though."

"I- do, er I did. It has either been raining or very cold. I haven't been allowed outside in almost a month. I miss it."

Professor McGonagall smiled at her former student, "You miss it? Or do you miss_ him?_"

Hermione blushed slightly, "Both, I guess. He is the only person that talks to me here, and he is a much different person than he was at Hogwarts."

Both women looked up as the guard started to approach them. Professor McGonagall quickly touched Hermione's arm as she stood up to leave, "I'm glad you have each other. He needs you as much as you need him."

Hermione watched the door shut behind her former professor. She couldn't help but think about the words she had spoken on the way back to her cell.

-ooOOoo-

There was quite the chill in the air as Hermione walked out the gate and into the courtyard. Even with the winter-weight prison robes, she was still quite cold. _What I wouldn't give to be able to cast a warming charm or my bluebell flames_, she thought as she took her usual seat in the now almost-dead patch of grass.

She had not seen Severus in well over a month, and even though it was cold, today was the first day it wasn't raining or below freezing outside. Although she had the last book with her that he had loaned, she had no desire to open it since she had read it numerous times in the past few weeks.

Pulling her knees toward her body, she was trying to keep warm, but was still shivering enough for her teeth to chatter. It was times like this that she still wished she had her long hair, despite it's previous matted condition. She reached up and pulled slightly on the short curls.

Glancing at the courtyard gate, she couldn't help but smile when she saw Severus approach her. She was shocked that his hair had now grown out a couple of inches, and she couldn't help to think he looked more handsome with the shorter hair. _More handsome in a rakish sort of way,_ her inner voice corrected.

He handed her a new book as he took a seat beside her, "I'm sure that you finished the book weeks ago, so I've brought you something new to read." It wasn't quite a smile on his face, but the slight smirk did indicate that he was glad to see her.

She flipped the book over to look at the title, and couldn't contain the grin on her face. "Really, Severus?"

"I thought you would know my tastes by now, Hermione. What is wrong with _Lord of the Flies_?"

She sighed, then turned her head towards him. "Nothing, I guess. But isn't it depressing enough being here, why would you want to read depressing books?"

"Why not?" He gave her a contemplative look. "I can take it back with me if you aren't interested."

"No, no," she replied quickly, "I'll read it. I just noticed that all of your books tend to have a similar theme. How long have you had them?" She hoped she answered him quickly enough to not offend him. She really didn't want him to leave, especially since she had no idea when the next time she would be able to see him.

"I've had most of them since I was a teenager. I would buy them during the summers when I was home from Hogwarts. Almost all of them came from either yard sales or thrift stores- I would buy whatever I could with the spare change my mother would give me. I'm sure that...Potter told you my home life was less than ideal, and books were a way to escape reality. My father would leave me alone when I was reading, especially since they were muggle books."

She occassionally smiled at him as they continued to discuss his books. After listening to him talk for a few minutes, she noticed that he stopped abruptly and then just stared at her.

"I have no idea why I am telling you this, to be honest. I don't think I have shared any of this in many years. Not since- well not since I was a student."

She knew that he almost said 'not since Lily,' but she wasn't about to push it since he was being so open with her. She looked at him, and gave him a small smile. "That is what friends do, Severus."

His eyebrows rose in shock before he quickly regained his composure. "Friends? Why would you want to be my friend? I've not exactly been very kind to you and your friends over the years. In fact, I think I brought you to tears several times when you were a student."

"That is in the past," she looked into his eyes, and her tone became more serious. "Do you really think how we treated each other five years ago matters? I am here another year and a half, and you have at least that long. I don't have any friends here, and as far as I know, you don't either. I've enjoyed the talks we have had the past couple of months- and I thought that maybe you did as well. But if this is how you feel about it-," she started to get up until she felt a hand grasp her wrist tightly.

"Don't go, Hermione," he said in a pleading voice that she was not used to. "I- I do want to be your friend. I'm just- not that good at being a friend."

"You seem to be doing a good job so far," she spoke softly as she sat back down. "Now tell me about the book that Professor McGonagall brought you this week."

They discussed the book quietly until their respective guards took them back to their cells.

* * *

_**A/N...There are about five chapters left, including an epilogue. I can't promise updates as quickly as I had at first. I have two kids in school and one in preschool, and life is being terribly demanding at the moment.**_

_**As always, reviews are appreciated!**_


	7. Chapter 6

_**The usual disclaimer applies. I own nothing and make nothing, and anything you recognise belongs to JK Rowling.**_

_**Sorry for the delay in getting this up. I had a bit of writers' block that I am trying to work through. Hopefully I can stick with posting every two weeks (or less) from now on.**_

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Chapter 6

Hermione gently closed the battered copy of _Catcher in the Rye_ and shoved it under her lumpy mattress. She had already read it twice, and was re-reading it a third time since she had not seen Severus in several weeks due to the weather. She had forgotten what day it was until the guard had announced his presence outside of her door. _So I do have a visitor this week_, she smiled slightly as she sat up in bed. _Hmm...Minerva or Harry?_

She quietly followed the guard towards the visitor's area, which had now become quite familiar to her. She almost let a smile escape as the door to the room was opened. It wasn't happiness, per se, but she had finally allowed herself to be at peace with her current situation. Five months of her sentence had now been served, and she finally felt that between having visitors and making friends with Severus that she would be able to survive until she was released. She still did not want to think of what she would do once she was free, but she finally had a bit of hope for the first time in almost six months.

"Hello, Harry," she spoke softly and gently smiled at him. "I had wondered whether it would be you or Minerva today."

He raked his hands through his hair nervously before speaking. "Professor McGonagall could not come by this week, but she sends her regards. Ginny does as well."

Hermione's smile faltered as she took in his nervous gestures. "What is wrong Harry? If it is about the denial of a retrial, Minerva has already spoken to me about that."

"No, it's not...it's not that." He looked down and couldn't hold back a sigh before he spoke. "Ginny didn't think it would be a good idea talking to you about this, but I feel like you need to know." He paused and nervously twisted at his fingers before continuing, "Ron is getting married."

Hermione froze in place and tried to take a few deep breaths to remain calm. She did not want Harry to see how much this affected her, and she made a great effort to keep her emotions in check. "That is-is," she paused trying to find the words, "Good for him, I suppose. He deserves happiness after losing so much in the final battle." She tried hard to keep the tears in the corners of her eyes from falling.

"Hermione, he really does still love you. But three years-," he stopped as she interrupted him.

"Harry, don't. Please." She took the edge or her robes and gently blotted her eyes. "I didn't expect him to wait, but I just didn't think he would marry so soon. Who-who is it? Please tell me, Harry."

"Lavender. Lavender Brown."

"Oh," Hermione spoke softly. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised considering their history. So when was she released from St. Mungo's?"

"Right after you were sentenced. Ron said that she is very different from when we were in school. She barely survived Greyback's attack, and she has a lot of scars. He ran into her in Hogsmeade about four months ago, and I guess they started seeing each other shortly after that."

She tried to smile at Harry, despite the tears, "I-I'm glad he is happy, then. I just wanted him to be happy-," she trailed off as her smile faltered.

"Please, Hermione. You don't have to pretend with me- I know that you both had talked marriage before the charges were filed. I know this must be devastating, but I thought you had a right to know."

At this, she finally started crying softly, and she leaned into her hands to shield her face from Harry. "I-I can't talk any more, Harry. Please. But thank you for telling me."

As he walked out the visitors door, she broke down and started sobbing.

-ooOOoo-

Hermione gently tucked the book into her robes as she followed the guard to the courtyard. Her teeth started to chatter as the cold air hit her. It was mild for this time of year in Azkaban, but it still was only a few degrees above freezing. She was very cold despite wearing two heavy robes, but she wanted to see Severus desperately. It had now been almost five weeks since she had last seen him, and other than the visit from Harry and a brief visit from Minerva, she was quite lonely.

She tried to look at the book as she waited for him, but she could not concentrate on the words. Ever since Harry had told her of Ron's engagement, she had been very depressed and had a difficult time sleeping and eating. She had probably lost what little weight she had gained back from her first weeks of incarceration, and she was sure that she had red-rimmed eyes from all the crying.

Giving up on the book, she closed it and tucked it back into her robes. She watched the gate, hoping that Severus would come out despite the cold weather. She was about to give up when she saw him slowly walk towards her, a book clutched tightly in his pale hands.

He gazed at her a moment before finally sitting down beside her. "You have been crying. What has happened?" His voice was soft, and the gentle tone surprised her.

"Harry visited me a few weeks ago," she paused and took a deep breath to try and calm her emotions. "Ron is getting married."

"Would you like to talk about it?"

She looked up at him, and noticed the concerned look on his face. This Severus was so different from the Professor Snape she had known at Hogwarts. Or rather, not really known, at Hogwarts.

"I-no, not really. I think I will go mad if I talk about it anymore. I really shouldn't be surprised that he is getting married, and I need to try and move past it." She was touched that he was concerned, but she did not want to talk any more about it and break down in front of him. She glanced down at the book in his lap, "What book did you bring today?"

"It is a collection of short stories," he pulled the book out of his lap and showed her the cover. "By Poe." He smirked slightly at her as he took in her expression.

She finally let a smile slowly creep up on her face. "Hmm...why am I not surprised?" She took the book from him and then looked at the index page. "_The Pit and the Pendulum, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Fall of the House of Usher._..looks like all the happy stories are included."

She looked up at him and saw a smile slowly form at the corners of his mouth. "You know my fondness of happy stories..."

As she slowly flipped through the book, the outside air had become colder as the clouds moved in, and a biting breeze had started to blow. Without even thinking about it, she moved closer to him and leaned into him to avoid the cold. He startled slightly, making her realise what she had done.

"I'm..I'm sorry," she blushed slightly as she started to move away from him.

"No...don't move. It is cold, and body heat is much warmer than these poor quality robes," he also blushed slightly as he spoke to her.

They started to discuss the book when her guard came to take her back to her cell. "Goodbye, Severus," she offered as she walked towards the gate. She barely heard his farewell as the gate closed behind her.

She smiled to herself when she realised that she quite enjoyed being so close to him in the courtyard.

-ooOOoo-

Hermione woke up slowly, wondering why the guard was banging on her door. It wasn't a visitor day, a courtyard day, or even a shower day. She had no idea what was going on, but she quickly got up from her bed as the guard knocked again on her cell door.

She gasped sharply as the guard came into her cell. She felt a quick prickle of magic before her body was sharply pressed into the wall, her hands and ankles bound as well.

"Long time, no see...Hermione. Or should I say," and at this, the guard stared at the number on her robes, "inmate 5273."

Hermione stared in horror at the guard that had pinned her against the wall. It was a face that she had not seen in over three years, and had honestly never expected to see ever again. As she gazed into the eyes of the guard, she realised that her life was about to become much more difficult.

* * *

_**A/N...Any guesses to who the guard might be? House points will be awarded for correct guesses :)**_


	8. Chapter 7

_**The usual disclaimer applies. I own nothing and make nothing.**_

_**A/N...Out of more than thirty reviews, only one correct guess. So thirty points to rosered775! Read on to find out who it is..**_

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Chapter 7

Hermione tried not to panic as she felt the wand push into her temple. She breathed slowly and just stared at the guard that had pinned her to the wall. In any other situation, this wouldn't have even been a fair fight. She knew she was stronger, both physically and magically, but unfortunately, she was not the one with a wand.

She looked into the face of her captor, and it barely resembled the girl she had known at Hogwarts. There was still just the faintest of scars dotting her forehead, which were obscured by the reddish-blond curls. But her face was haggard, and her blue-green eyes were devoid of emotion, and almost had a dead appearance. The smirk that was slowly appearing on her face was devious.

"Cat got your tongue, Hermione? You don't seem quite so powerful without the Boy Who Shouldn't Have Lived and the ginger idiot standing along side you." She rubbed the scars on her forehead and then pushed her wand more forcefully into Hermione's temple. "But I forgot that you preferred to work alone- casting curses that have no cure."

Hermione started to speak, but was silenced with just a flick of the wand_._

"I'm. Not. Finished. You ruined my life, Hermione. I lost my best friend, and was an outcast in my own house. Not even Flitwick would look at me after what you did. Despite my mother working at the Ministry, I couldn't get a job...anywhere. This is the only place I could get a job, and I had to fuck some pretty vile filth just to get it. I had seven NEWTS, you bitch, and yet I am here. With you!" She stared at Hermione, then looked her over slowly. "But then I found out you were coming here, and I was elated. I have worked hard these past few months so I could be moved to this cell block. And I am looking forward to making your life hell, just as you have done with mine." She started to exit the cell, then briefly flicked her wand towards Hermione, ending the _Silencio_ spell.

Hermione took a deep breath, then spoke to the hastily retreating figure, "I'm so sorry, Marietta."

Marietta continued on, exiting the door, but pausing to speak before she shut it. "The binding spell should wear off in a few hours...I think."

Hermione pulled at her arms, realising they were still just as tightly bound to the wall as before. As the cell door closed, she started to cry.

-ooOOoo-

Hermione was hungry, but there was absolutely no way that she would eat the food on the tray in front of her. Not only was the food overcooked and half rotten, which happened frequently in Azkaban, but it had obviously been spat in as well. This was now the third meal in the past two days that was inedible.

_Tampering with my food; I guess she could be doing worse._ She pushed the food back towards the door, and then crawled back into bed. She was so thankful that the guards only had four day shifts before they rotated off. One more day of Marietta, then she would hopefully start having somewhat edible meals again. If this was the worst that Marietta was going to do, she knew she could handle it. But she had a sinking feeling that things would gradually get worse, and it only took another day for that to be proven.

-ooOOoo-

Hermione sat up in her bed, reading the last short story in the Poe book that Severus had loaned her. She had been so engrossed in the pages that she had not heard the guard walk up to her cell.

"You have a visitor," the guard announced, then paused to smirk at Hermione. "Or rather, you had a visitor. It is quite a shame that you didn't show up during your allotted time with Scar-head. I saw him leave not ten minutes ago. He looked quite...frustrated."

"What?" Hermione exclaimed, panic evident in her voice.

"He looked so disappointed that you did not want to visit today," she said in an obviously fake pouty voice. "I wonder how many missed visits it would take for him to quit visiting altogether...hmm? Weasley has already abandoned you, and I would guess it wouldn't take much for Saviour boy to do the same."

"You-you can't do this," Hermione pleaded. "I've already said I'm sorry. Please don't do this, Marietta."

Marietta traced her finger along the scars on her forehead, and then stared at Hermione. "Why would I want to stop? I'm quite enjoying this. And I can do this. You see...the other guards on this cell block like me, or at the very least, like to fuck me. I don't think I'll have any problem switching days with whoever is assigned to you on your visiting days."

Hermione's jaw dropped in horror at hearing this. Her outside visits, along with her visits with Severus, were the only things that were keeping her sane while she was in Azkaban. _And if she finds a way to take away my visits with Severus..._ "Don't-don't do this...please," she pleaded, her voice slightly cracking.

"Oh, I'm just getting started," she smiled as she left Hermione's cell.

-ooOOoo-

Hermione pulled her robes tightly over her knees, trying to keep from losing any more heat. She was amazed that she was actually in the courtyard waiting for Severus. Marietta had not managed to take that away from her..._yet._ She pulled out the battered book and flipped through the pages, hoping that Severus would meet her despite the freezing weather.

She looked up and smiled as she saw him approach her. His neutral expression turned livid as he stopped in front of her.

"Why are you not eating again?" His voice was quiet, but angry.

She sighed as she realised his temper was more out of concern than anger. "I have a new guard. I think you might remember her from Hogwarts. Marietta Edgecombe- she was a Ravenclaw in my year. She blames me for ruining her life, and she is doing her best to do the same to me."

Severus looked away from her for a moment, deep in thought, before his eyebrows rose in realisation. "She was the one who told Dolores Umbridge about Dumbledore's Army, was she not? I believe I made several different potions for Poppy to get rid of the boils on her face, and none of them ever worked." He paused for a moment, then continued, "You were the one that put the curse on the list of names."

Hermione couldn't look him in the eye, especially now that her eyes were starting to tear. "I had no idea that the scars would be permanent. She- she said I ruined her life." She wiped the wetness from her eyes, then laid her head down on her knees. "She has spat in my food the past few days, and she kept me from seeing Harry when he came to visit. But she is threatening to do much worse."

Her shoulders started to shake as her sobbing escalated. She hated that she was being so emotional in front of Severus, but she at least knew now that he wouldn't judge her for it. She was crying into her knees when she felt his arm wrap around her waist.

"I-I can't survive the next two and a half years with no visitors. And if she finds out about us...our friendship- she'll find a way to stop this as well." She leaned into him and buried her face in his robes.

"You won't have to, Hermione. It won't get that far. I may not like Potter, but he isn't stupid...he won't give up on you just because of a few missed visits. And Minerva definitely wont. She's as tenacious as a bulldog with a bone."

"But how will I let them know? If I can't get visitors, how do I explain-," she stopped talking as she noticed him sit up straighter and raise one brow.

"Did you forget how I get these books?" He waved the hardbound copy of Dante's_ Inferno_ in her face. "I still see Minerva, and as far as I know, she still sees Mr. Potter."

She stopped sniffling and stared at him for a moment before a smile crept up on her face. "Thank you, Severus."

His smirk turned into just a hint of a smile. "Thanks are not needed. Isn't that what friends are for?" Before the moment became too awkward, he handed her the book that he had been waving in her face.

"And now I think it is time for a new book. I'm sure you have some commentary to offer me on this one as well?"

"Of course," she replied as she quickly grabbed it from his hands.

* * *

_**A/N...I rushed to get this chapter out since it was such a cliffhanger. Pardon the errors- I did much typing with a two year old on my lap.**_

_**I based as much info as I could on Marietta's bio on the HP Wikia and Pottermore. I apologise if I made any mistakes with her info, though.**_

_**Most chapters probably won't be posted quite as quickly.**_

_**As always, reviews are appreciated!**_


	9. Chapter 8

_**The usual disclaimer applies. I own nothing and make nothing, and everything you recognise belongs to the very talented J K Rowling.**_

* * *

Chapter 8

Three weeks had passed since Hermione had a visitor. Or maybe it was four- she really had a hard time keeping track now that most of her markers for the passage of time had been taken from her. She had not seen anyone now that Marietta was tampering with her life, and the weather had kept her from visiting Severus in the courtyard. It was snowing and blustery the past few times she would have been allowed in the courtyard, and well below freezing. _Typical December weather,_ she mused to herself. Or at least she thought it was now December, since she had no way to keep track of the days anymore. She wondered how close it was to Christmas, then shook her head when she realised it didn't matter. Christmas would be just like any other day here, and that thought brought a few tears to her eyes. She closed her eyes to go to sleep, but she knew sleep would be hard to come by, just like it had been the past few weeks.

She woke early the next day, shivering as she noticed her thin blanket had been kicked off the bed during the night. She had just thrown on a second robe when a guard knocked loudly on her door. "Visitor, Princess. You have five minutes to be ready to go."

Although the guard was rude, Hermione couldn't hide the big grin on her face. Somehow, either her visitation dates had been changed, or she no longer had Marietta as a guard. Either way, she would get to talk to someone today. She quickly put on a second pair of socks and her shoes, and pulled her fingers through her hair to look more presentable.

As she walked down the corridor towards the visitors' area, she wondered whether it would be Harry or Minerva. No one else had tried to visit her while she was here, but she did not want to dwell on that thought.

She sat down and waited for her visitor to enter the room, ignoring the guards that were putting binding spells on her hands and feet. She couldn't help but shout "Harry" as he came into the room. "I've missed you so much, Harry," she managed to cry out, despite the tears of joy running down her face.

"Hermione, I've missed you, too." He smiled and spoke tenderly as he sat down across from her. "Did you get any visitors on Christmas or Boxing Day? I'm sorry I didn't try to come by, but I wasn't certain you were allowed visitors, and it was so busy."

Her expression turned sour as she realised she had missed Christmas, and not even the guards had mentioned the day to her. "When was Christmas? We-we aren't told what day it is by the guards."

Harry blanched as he noticed his faux paux. "Oh, I'm so sorry Hermione. I didn't know, I just thought-," He raked his hands though his hair, and sighed deeply. "It was three days ago. I should have tried to come by."

She forced a smile, and tried to steer the conversation in a more positive direction. "No matter. You are here now, and that is what counts. How were you able to visit me, though? I'm sure Minerva told you about Marietta, and she has been able to keep me from seeing visitors for a while now."

"Professor McGonagall told me about that. I've tried the past few weeks to get her reassigned, but apparently everyone around here loves her, and they don't want her to go elsewhere. They believe her word, and won't listen to anything we have to say. The other inmates really like her, and apparently you are the only one she torments." He sighed, and then once again ran his fingers through his hair. "For now, we were able to change your visitation day. And once she figures that out, we will try to get it changed again. The guards and staff here may like her, but I do have enough clout with the Ministry to pull a few strings when necessary."

Hermione started to ask a question, but halted as one of the guards started to walk toward her. "Thank you, Harry. I have missed you so much."

Harry started to head towards the door, but then walked back to her as he suddenly remembered something. "Oh, I almost forgot. Professor McGonagall gave this to me to give to you. She said you would understand." He pulled a book from his robes and handed it to her before he started heading out the door.

Hermione looked down at the book, and couldn't stifle the small chuckle that escaped. It was a very warn out copy of Orwell's _1984._ She understood, and apparently Minerva McGonagall did as well.

-ooOOoo-

The next couple of weeks passed more quickly for Hermione, despite the fact that Marietta had been her main guard for several of those days. On those days, she usually was too afraid to touch her food, but other than that and the taunting, she thought she was dealing with it fairly well. And Marietta must have figured out that the visitation day had been changed, because she hadn't had a visitor since Harry had come by the last time.

Once again, she had lost track of the days and had started passing the time by reading the latest book. She was almost halfway through _1984, _and had pulled the blanket around her tighter since the cell was very cold. Her concentration was broken when she heard the distinct girlish voice of Marietta call into her cell.

"Oh, Princess- I think the weather is good enough today for a visit to the courtyard. This is the first day in weeks that it isn't snowing or much below freezing. Get your winter robes and shoes on and come on."

Although Hermione was quite suspicious of Marietta's motives, she really wanted to see Severus since it had been several weeks. She followed Marietta to the courtyard, and then walked to the spot that she usually met Severus. It wasn't snowing, but it was still quite cold and she pulled her robes tightly around her for warmth. Pulling the book out of her robes, she slowly started to read.

She looked up after reading several pages, and then knew that Severus would not be showing up. _Marietta must have set me up, _she thought as she got up and started to walk towards the door. She looked around the courtyard, and noticed that the guards were not outside watching her as usual. Even though it was suspicious, Hermione did not give it much thought to it as she continued on towards the building. As she reached towards the door, it was pushed open and she gasped at who had just come through to the courtyard.

"Well, well...what's the rush Miss Granger? I just came out to see you, you can't leave just yet."

Hermione paled as the large man walked towards her, as she tried to back away from the door. "Dolohov," she mumbled under her breath as she stepped back. "You- you're not supposed to be out here. Only low risk inmates-," but he covered her mouth before she could continue.

"But you see, I've been on my best behavior. Miss Edgecomb told me I had earned _this_. And that isn't the only thing she told me." He continued walking towards her, and she had backed herself into a wall in an attempt to get away from him. "I believe she told me that you and your friends were the ones I should thank for my first stay here...after the_ incident_ in the Department of Mysteries."

She now was pushed uncomfortably against the stone wall, and as she looked around, she noticed there were still no guards to help her. "Wh-what are you going to do to me?" The terror she was feeling was evident in her shaking voice.

He stared at her momentarily, then gave a harsh laugh. "Not that," he spoke with venom as he looked her body up and down. "I wouldn't soil myself with a Mudblood. But since I am here for life, and nothing I do will change that, I might as well give you what you deserve."

She was pinned against the wall, so there was nothing she could do as she saw his fist coming towards her stomach. Black spots floated in front of her eyes as she both heard and felt one of her ribs crack. Another punch hit her square in the abdomen, and she started gagging as the bile and blood started to come up. As she started to slide down the wall, she vaguely heard her name called just as his fist made contact with her face. Unconsciousness overtook her, but she swore she saw Severus before everything turned black.

* * *

_**A/N...I apologise profusely for the delay in getting this chapter up. Between sick kids, writer's block, and well...life in general, I just wasn't able to get anything up until now.**_

_**I'm sure there will be comments about how a Death Eater was able to go to the courtyard and the lack of guards, and that will hopefully be explained to satisfaction in the next chapter.**_

_**This hasn't been betaed, and really all I have done is spell check. So all the errors are totally mine.**_


	10. Chapter 9

_**The usual disclaimer applies. I own nothing and make nothing.**_

* * *

Chapter 9

Hermione opened her eyes slowly. As she looked around the room, she did not recognise anything around her. She definitely wasn't at Hogwarts, and this looked nothing like her flat. She blinked a few times and observed the room once again. The room was totally unfamiliar, and she knew she had never been here before. Her head was throbbing, but despite the pain she closed her eyes tightly and tried to focus. _Oh God, Dolohov,_ she finally remembered. She had been in the courtyard with Dolohov, and then she found it hard to remember anything after that.

She tried to push herself up into a sitting position, but then noticed she couldn't move her hands. She was surprised to see muggle handcuffs pinning her arms to the bed railings. Slightly digging her elbows into the bed, she managed to push herself up just a little bit. She looked up as she heard the door start to open. An older woman with light green robes entered the room, and walked briskly towards her.

"Good. You're awake now. How do you feel Miss Granger?"

"Okay, I guess. My head hurts and I am a little sore. My chest hurts a bit, and my face feels kind of numb." Hermione looked at the woman's robes for a moment, and noticed the healer's emblem near the collar. "Where am I?"

"You are at St. Mungo's, dear. Your injuries were too extensive to be treated at the infirmary at Azkaban. And I am not surprised you are still sore; you had quite a few serious injuries to recover from. Two broken ribs, a ruptured spleen, a broken nose, a skull fracture and concussion, and several broken bones on your face. Not to mention the deep tissue bruising on your torso." She watched as Hermione tried to push herself higher, then couldn't because of the handcuffs. "I can remove one of those now that you are awake, but all prisoners have to be handcuffed- it is both a Ministry and Azkaban requirement. I'd personally prefer a spell, but the magic could interfere with our diagnostic charms."

Hermione nodded, and watched the healer remove her right cuff. "How-how long have I been here?"

"Three days. And you will probably be here another couple of days until we can make sure you have healed enough to be transferred back to Azkaban." The healer paused when there was a knock on the door. "There is an Auror waiting outside to take a statement from you, and I am supposed to send him in once you are able to talk. I will check on you later, Miss Granger."

The older woman walked out the door, and Hermione started to listen to a discussion taking place in the hallway. One of the voices sounded familiar, but it wasn't loud enough for her to identify. The door started to open, and she couldn't hide the smile that was now on her face as her visitor walked in.

"Harry!" she exclaimed loudly, then winced as her head throbbed once again. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to question you about the incident that put you here," he replied softly. "But first, how are you? How do you feel?"

Hermione managed a slight smile. "I've felt better." She tried to contain her emotions, but once Harry sat closer to the bed and clasped her hand, she felt the dam break. "I thought I was going to die. I've never been so scared in my life." And then the tears freely flowed down her face.

"What happened?" he asked quietly.

Hermione took several breaths to try and calm herself before she spoke. "Marietta came to get me for courtyard time. I was suspicious, but I went outside anyway. Most of the hour I spent alone reading a book, but once I realised that I was alone and Severus wasn't coming out, I headed back to the door. That is when Dolohov came outside."

"Why was he outside? Death Eaters and high security prisoners aren't allowed outside breaks." Harry's tone was now angry and loud.

"I-I don't know. He said that Marietta told him he had been good and had earned outside time. I looked for someone to help me, but there was no one outside but the two of us."

Harry gasped, "Where were the guards? You are never supposed to be left alone in the courtyard, especially if there are other prisoners."

"I don't know. But there weren't any guards. There wasn't anyone else." Hermione paused for a moment, then spoke as she suddenly remembered something else. "I thought I saw Severus right before I lost consciousness, but I was in so much pain. I'm pretty sure I must have imagined it."

"No, you didn't imagine it. He was brought outside by his guard, and when the gate was opened, they both saw Dolohov attacking you. The attack was stopped, and once the guard saw how seriously injured you were, you were transferred to St. Mungo's."

"Where's Dolohov now?"

"He's in the infirmary at Azkaban. When he's released, there is a pretty good chance that he'll be Kissed. He was already in for life, and this reflects poorly on the Ministry."

Hermione nodded her head, then gave Harry a curious look. "Why is Dolohov in the infirmary? What happened after I blacked out?"

Harry ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "We're not exactly sure. We have only talked to the guard. Professor Snape is also in the infirmary, so we still need to talk to him and Dolohov." He looked at the concerned expression on Hermione's face, and then quickly continued explaining. "Professor Snape and the guard both started running towards you and Dolohov, but before they got to you, Dolohov was knocked away from you and into a wall. The guard said he did not have enough time to perform a stunning spell, but he was the only one with a wand. The Auror department did a Prior Incantato on his wand, and it seems he is telling the truth. Hopefully we will find out more once we are able to talk to Dolohov and Snape."

"What happened to Professor Snape? Did he get hit with a stunner as well?"

"He should be fine. But the healers have said he wasn't hit with a stunner. His symptoms are more like magical exhaustion, but they are still trying to figure out what is wrong since it can't be that."

Hermione looked away from Harry, her eyes slightly glazed over while she was deep in thought. "Harry, what keeps prisoners, or even guards for that matter, from doing wandless magic?"

"Azkaban has a magic-dampening field surrounding it. It is complex spell-work, and the Aurors have to renew it every couple of years. The guards can only do magic because they have special wands that will still work in the dampening field. But Snape's guard already told us he doesn't know how to do wandless magic-," and he cut off his sentence as he realised what Hermione was implying. His eyebrows rose, and he looked at Hermione in shock. "Hermione, you can't tell anyone your theory, okay? He's only in for five years, but if the Ministry even thought that he performed magic-," he trailed off as he looked towards Hermione.

"Of course," she replied to Harry as he got up and headed towards the door.

"I wish I could stay longer, but I might be questioned about the nature of this visit if I were to stay any longer. I will try to be back tomorrow once I question Professor Snape and Dolohov. Bye, Hermione."

"Bye, Harry."

She didn't realise how exhausting her talk had been until after he left. As she started to get drowsy, she couldn't help but wonder why Severus would risk not only his freedom, but his health for her. She knew that in the past, he had saved her, along with Harry and Ron, several times while they were at Hogwarts. But that had been while he was still under his vow to protect Harry, and serve the Order. He had no orders to follow now, and no masters he had to serve. Anything he did would be because he chose it, not because it was commanded of him. _ He did it for me, he did it because we are friends,_ was her final thought as sleep overtook her.

* * *

_**A/N... I tried to get this up as quickly as possible, but my hubby has been out of town, and I've been doing the single mom thing with three kids. It doesn't leave much time for writing. (and kudos to those that do the single mom thing every day...I bow to you).**_

_**Hopefully I've answered all the questions from the last chapter, but if not feel free to PM me. **_

_**As always...reviews are always appreciated!**_


	11. Chapter 10

_**The usual disclaimer applies. I own nothing and make nothing, and anything you recognise belongs to the talented J K Rowling.**_

_**Quick note...I apologise for the delay in getting this up, but I've found it much more difficult to write as I get closer to the conclusion. This is totally unbetaed, so all mistakes are my own, but I figured you would rather it be up now than in a week or so. With real life duties and the upcoming holidays, I anticipate at least two weeks between updates from this point on.**_

* * *

Chapter 10

Hermione started to wake up, then quickly sat upright when the unfamiliarity of her surroundings confused her. After taking a few seconds to calm down, she looked around and noticed the cold damp walls, small window on one wall, and the toilet in the back of the room. She found it hard to believe that she had slept so soundly last night that she had almost forgotten that she was now back at Azkaban. She might have slept well because it was the first night in almost a week that she did not need a pain potion, or more than likely it was because she would never have to see Marietta Edgecomb ever again.

Harry had come back to the hospital and told her that Marietta was under house arrest, pending an investigation of the events that led to Hermione's hospitalization. The worst case scenario was that Marietta would lose her job as prison guard, and the best case scenario was that she herself would have to serve a sentence. Hermione did not care as long as she never had to see Marietta Edgecomb ever again.

She quickly rose and put on a second robe to combat the chill in her cell. She reached under the mattress to pull out a book, and then paused when she heard the voice outside her cell. "Granger, you have visitors."

-ooOOoo-

Hermione followed the guard down the corridor with growing anticipation. She had never been allowed two visitors, and she was fairly confident that it must have something to do with the situation with Marietta.

She was lead into the visitation room, and then patiently waited for her visitors to come in as the guard used a shackling spell on her wrists and ankles. As the two visitors walked towards her, she couldn't contain her squeal of delight.

"How- how were you both able to come right now? I'm not allowed more than one visitor at a time."

Her visitors smiled at each other, then at Hermione, before the older woman spoke in her familiar Scottish brogue. "There are going to be changes at Azkaban after your attack, and this was just the first concession that the Minister has made." Minerva turned to Harry, then continued after he gave her an approving nod. "Your attack did not reflect well on the Ministry, and the public was outraged that a war heroine was attacked by a Death Eater."

"What?" Hermione had a confused expression on her face. "When I was convicted, the Ministry had the full support of the Wizengamot, and it seemed that the general Wizarding population was behind my sentencing as well. There was no uproar when I was convicted. Why would my attack change anything?"

Harry shook his head and grimaced. "I know it seemed that way at the time, but there were quite a few of us that were upset with your sentencing. Kingsley couldn't go against the Wizengamot's ruling- he didn't have enough power since he was only an interim Minister. But trust me, he was furious about your sentencing. None of us were vocal about it at the time, but now that all of this has become public knowledge- not only your attack but conditions here at Azkaban, there is quite a bit of public outrage."

"To save face, the Ministry is now reviewing all convictions that have taken place since the end of the war," Minerva added. "And that includes yours."

Hermione had tried very hard to not get emotional as Harry and Minerva had spoken to her, but when she thought about possibly being released early, she couldn't help the tears forming in her eyes.

"Harry, is that really a possibility? I don't want to get my hopes up, but-," her voice trailing off as her shoulders started shaking with the emotion she was feeling.

"Yes, Hermione, it really is a possibility. I wouldn't have even mentioned it if it wasn't. Even before your attack, Kingsley had brought up the conditions here and the lice outbreak. Your attack was the turning point that finally convinced the Ministry to take another look. They are seriously going to look at retrials, paroles, and pardons."

Hermione started to smile, then it faltered as a new thought entered her mind. "What about Severus? Would his sentence be reviewed as well?"

"I believe so," Harry replied confidently. "He was also sentenced after the War, so it should be included."

As the guards started walking towards Hermione, she knew her time was up. But for once she felt no sadness as her visitors prepared to leave. "Thank you so much," she spoke softly to both of them as she was led back to her cell.

-ooOOoo-

It had been almost a week since Harry and Minerva had visited her, but there were already changes taking place in Azkaban. The first change she had noticed was that the warming charms had been either enhanced or recast. Her cell was no longer so cold that she had to double layer her robes. The second change was that she was now allowed a weekly shower...and that the water was actually warm.

She settled into her room and pulled the worn out paperback from under her lumpy mattress. She had now read it quite a few times, but she had not seen Severus since her attack, and that had been almost two weeks.

She had started to doze off as she reached the halfway point in the book when she heard the voice outside of her cell. For once, it was a friendly voice, and it surprised her.

"It's time for your one hour recreation break, Miss Granger," the friendly feminine voice had spoken outside her door. She had never had a guard speak to her so kindly, and never had she actually been called her own name without malice.

Although she had never been brave enough to talk to a guard in the corridors, something about this friendly looking female had made her brave. She swallowed quickly, then spoke before she lost her nerve.

"Isn't it too cold to go outside? I've never been allowed outside when it is below freezing."

"Oh, is that so?" The guard gave her a questioning look. "This is my first week here, and I was transferred from the Auror department just last week. We were told to cast a localized warming charm in the courtyard to make the temperature more comfortable."

"Oh," was the only response that Hermione could formulate. She was stunned at how polite the guard had treated her, and even more in shock from the content of the conversation. They continued to walk in silence until they had reached the end of the final corridor.

The wind cut almost like a knife as the gate to the courtyard was opened. Hermione watched as the guard performed a series of wand motions, and the wind stopped almost instantaneously. As she walked towards the familiar patch of dead grass, she noticed that the air was noticeably warmer as well.

Although she pulled out her book to read, she had hoped that Severus would be outside so that she could finally thank him for saving her. She had not seen him or even spoken to him since her attack, and she had hoped that he had recovered enough to be allowed outside.

She had reread the first page for about the sixth time when she saw a familiar pair of shoes approaching. She looked up and couldn't help the beaming smile that appeared on her face.

"You came!" She exclaimed in an excited and breathless voice. Before she could even think through her actions, she threw her arms around him in a bone-crushing hug. "I owe you so much and I will never be able to repay you."

It was obvious as he tensed slightly with the embrace that he was uncomfortable, yet he did nothing to stop her show of affection. Hermione noticed just the slightest tinting of his cheeks before he spoke.

"Nonsense, Hermione. Isn't that what friends do?" His voice was kind, and it gave her an unfamiliar warmth in her heart to hear him speak. "Your thanks are not necessary," he added as he pulled away from her embrace.

"Severus, you ended up in the infirmary. You risked your own life to save my own, so I do believe that I owe you a great deal."

She watched as he tensed slightly, obviously uncomfortable with the praise that she was heaping on him. She didn't want to keep making him uncomfortable, so she quickly changed topics to a subject that they both would enjoy. She pulled the battered book out of her robes and gave him a sheepish smile.

"I'm hoping that you have seen Minerva recently because I don't think this book will survive another reading. I do believe that the binding has seen better days." She handed the book back to him and watched a smile form on his face.

"Of course. Minerva would never visit without bringing books, or else she would have to face my wrath," he smirked slightly as he spoke. He pulled out a book and handed it to her, watching her eyebrows rise almost to her hairline as she took it.

"You have finally surprised me," she stroked the cover of the book as she spoke. "I would never have expected you to own anything written by Austen, especially this," she waved _Sense and Sensibility_ in the air to emphasize her point.

"I needed a change," he shrugged his shoulders slightly as he spoke.

Although the air around them was warm, they sat close together as they began to discuss the book. Their knees and shoulders touched slightly as she leaned in to hear him discuss the book, and Hermione could sense that something about their relationship had changed. Her smile grew larger as his hand slightly brushed her own as he flipped a page in the book. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him blush slightly at the contact. She couldn't help but sigh slightly as she realised that they were both happy at the new direction their relationship seemed to be heading.

* * *

_**A/N...I had to throw in the **_**Sense and Sensibility****_ reference. I could practically drool over Alan Rickman as Colonel Brandon._**

_**We are now just a few chapers away from the ending...about five or so if I stick to my outline, and I find it more difficult to write as I approach the end. So thank you for being patient with the long delays between chapters.**_

_**As always, reviews are appreciated.**_


	12. Chapter 11

_**The usual disclaimer applies. I own nothing and make nothing, and anything you recognise belongs to the talented JK Rowling.**_

_**Quick note...sorry for the really long delay in posting this chapter. My youngest son has been very sick with pneumonia, and then my life was crazy with Christmas preparations. It has not been betaed, so all mistakes are my own. Thanks for your understanding. Enjoy!**_

* * *

Chapter 11

Hermione walked outside and waited for the guard to cast the warming charm. It probably really wasn't necessary now that it was starting to get a bit warmer, but she appreciated the effort from the new guards. All of the guards that had worked with Marietta had either been sacked or transferred elsewhere, and for the first time in months, she was treated like a human being rather than a number.

It was now late February, and Hermione was looking forward to talking with Severus. Her outdoor breaks had been increased from every two weeks to weekly, and she cherished the time they spent together. Although neither of them had discussed it, their relationship had definitely changed since her attack. It wasn't anything that would be obvious to anyone observing them, but the tone of their conversation had become far more relaxed and personal, and they almost always sat closely together.

Although they had been enjoying conversing about the latest paperback that Minerva had given Severus, Hermione's attention had drifted off momentarily. She had been lost in thought for almost a minute before she closed the paperback and stared at Severus.

She gnawed on her lip nervously before speaking. "When you get out, what are you going to do? Or rather, what would you like to do?" She asked him in a curious tone.

Severus looked at her, and then grimaced before responding. "I don't know that I will have many choices. I don't ever want to teach again, not that I believe I would ever be offered that job again." He paused and had a thoughtful look on his face before responding. "I'm not really sure. I don't know who would hire a Death Eater and former convict."

"I've been thinking about that as well, Severus. I know that the public opinion of me has changed after my attack, but I'll still have the title of former convict attached to me as well. I spent the year after the end of the war looking for my parents, and then spent the next six months either preparing for my trial or being tried. I never even took my N.E.W.T.s," she wiped a small tear from the corner of her eyes as she spoke. "But I've tried to be more positive, and I've let myself at least have dreams about a good future. In my dreams, I own a bookstore in a small town, and I'm happy. I know it isn't realistic, and I don't have even a galleon to my name, but it gives me hope."

She reached her hand toward him, and gently grasped his arm. "What are your dreams, Severus? If you could do whatever you wanted?"

He sighed and then took a deep breath before answering her. "Not that I have the money to do so, but I would open my own apothecary. Store front or mail order- it wouldn't matter as long as I owned it and brewed all the potions."

"Would you want to stay here, Severus? Near Hogwarts? Or would you want to get away from all of this?" She shook her head a bit and grimaced. "I really am thankful for Harry and Minerva, and all that they are trying to accomplish, but I really want to move away and get a fresh start when I get out of here."

"Why are you asking me these questions, Hermione?" His voice softened as he saw the slightly hurt look on her face. "I don't mean any offense, but you caught me quite off guard with this line of questions. What made you want to talk about this right now?"

"I'm not sure, really. I guess that for the first time since I have been incarcerated, I finally feel like there is a chance for my future. Although I am trying not to get my hopes up, both Harry and Minerva have mentioned the possibility of parole or a pardon. I guess it has been on my mind a little more than usual, and I wondered what you would do as well. Harry mentioned that your sentence might be shortened as well."

Severus snorted, "Like that would ever happen. I am a murderer and a Death Eater; my crimes are much worse than yours." He paused for a moment, and then continued, "But to answer your earlier question, I think I would like to get away from England as well. Somewhere no one is familiar with my name. Perhaps Spain or Greece- somewhere not as bloody cold in the winter." He quirked one eyebrow as he looked at her, obviously trying to lighten the mood.

"Severus, you were convicted for assisted suicide, not murder. And all of the Wizarding world knows that you were a spy and not a true Death Eater. You have just as good a chance as I at getting paroled or pardoned." She smiled at him and gently grasped his hand. "I think Spain would be nice this time of year. I might have to open my bookstore next to your apothecary."

Severus leaned in towards her, and ran a finger gently down the side of her face. "I would like that very much."

-ooOOoo-

Hermione looked up towards the small window in her cell. She sighed as she rolled over, and tried to go to sleep. Although she had been in her small bed for two hours, sleep continued to allude her. All she could think about was her visit with Severus in the courtyard. _And his finger stroking the side of my face._

She knew that their relationship was gradually leaving the safety of friendship and heading into unknown territory. But she smiled slightly as she ran her own fingers across her face, still somehow feeling the tingle of Severus's fingers on her cheek.

-ooOOoo-

Hermione walked into the visiting area as the guard opened the door. It had been over a week since she had a visitor, and she was nervous with anticipation. She smiled when she saw Harry and Minerva already seated across the table.

Harry ran his fingers through his hair nervously, "Hermione, your case came up for review by the Wizengamot, and Kingsley gave me permission to personally give you this." He handed her the Ministry sealed parchment, noting the surprised look on her face.

"But, Harry-," she stopped as he cut her off with a wave of his hand.

"Just read it first, Hermione, then we'll answer any questions you have."

Hermione's hands were shaking slightly as she broke the seal and started to unroll the parchment. She gasped aloud as she saw that the terms of her sentence had been changed. Tears started to roll down her face as she processed the information that she had just read.

"A year? I only have to serve a year? That means-," she started crying again before she could get the words out.

"That means you will be able to leave in two months." Minerva smiled as she spoke to Hermione.

"We tried to get time served, but this was the best we could do. The Wizengamot still felt that what you did to your parents was wrong, but they all agreed that three years was excessive. Especially considering what you have already been though."

Hermione smiled at them, wiping the tears from her eyes with the corner of her robes before speaking once again. "I can handle two months. After everything I've been through, two months is nothing, really. Thank you both so much...for everything."

* * *

_**A/N...Sorry this is so short, but it was just the most natural place to stop.**_

_**Around three more chapters and then the epilogue. Whew...finally getting to the finish line.**_

_**As always, reviews are very much appreciated!**_


	13. Chapter 12

_**The usual disclaimer applies. I own nothing and make nothing, and if you recognise it, it belongs to J K Rowling.**_

_**I am so sorry you have had to wait so long for this chapter. My only excuse is that life got in the way. Enjoy! Should be two more chapters and an epilogue.**_

* * *

Chapter 12

It had only been two days since Harry and Minerva had visited Hermione, but now that freedom was within her grasp, Hermione felt like the hours had suddenly slowed to a crawl. Although she knew it was ridiculous, she occasionally would pinch herself just to be assured that she hadn't been dreaming.

Harry would be coming back today with paperwork for her to sign for the Ministry, and every time she heard a sound outside of her cell, she would pause in her reading to see if was the guard to take her to the visitation room. Her anxiety had caused her stomach to be in knots, and she couldn't help but feel the slightest bit of panic that something could still go wrong. It wouldn't seem real to her until she signed the papers. _No- not until I walk out the gates a free woman,_ her mind corrected.

As she pulled the book from under her mattress, she suddenly realised that she had not yet shared her good news with Severus. She started to smile as she imagined his reaction, until it finally dawned on her that she had not even asked Harry about Severus's chance of a reduced sentence or pardon.

_Oh gods, how did I forget about Severus?_

The tears had started to flow like a floodgate had been opened, and she started to sob even louder as she realised she had not even thought about his future the past couple of days. She would be walking out of Azkaban a free woman, yet he could possibly be here another three years. Although their discussion in the courtyard had partly been in jest, the idea of opening a store next to an apothecary run by Severus had been the centre of many dreams the past few weeks. He was now a friend, a very good friend, and she could not imagine having to restart her life without him in it, even if it was for only a few months. But if it was for three years? She had no idea if she could survive without the man she was starting to fall in love with. _In love with? _She had no idea where that last thought had come from, but before she had time to think about it, there was a knock on her cell door.

"Visitor, Miss Granger."

She shook her head slightly, trying to dislodge the unfamiliar thought that had come to the surface. As the guard magically shackled her arms, she focused her thoughts to her upcoming meaning with Harry.

-ooOOoo-

As she walked into the visitation room, she saw an already-seated Harry smiling brightly at her. She smiled in return as she took her seat and waited for her arms and ankles to be restrained.

"Hello, Harry," she spoke softly, trying to mask her nervousness.

"Hello, Hermione. I have the paperwork from the Ministry." He ruffled his hand through his hair awkwardly. "The Ministry has put a few stipulations on your release. I tried to get them waved, but it is standard protocol for parolees and early releases."

"What stipulations?"

"Well, there will be a tracer on your wand for the next two years that will alert the Ministry to unforgivable curses, as well as unapproved spells...er, such as _Obliviates_."

She winced as Harry mentioned the _Obliviates_. It probably wasn't a spell that was usually tracked, but considering the reason for her incarceration, it shouldn't have been too surprising. But, still, it cut her like a knife to hear him mention it.

"O-okay. What other stipulations?" Her voice wavered slightly.

"Well, usually you are restricted to local Apparation until your original release date. But I did get them to approve the whole United Kingdom since so much Wizarding jobs and transactions don't just occur in England."

"Is that all?"

"Yes, I believe so." Harry shuffled through the stack of parchments in front of him, scanning them quickly before looking back up. "If you agree to all the stipulations, you need to sign the final page, and I will take it to the registrar at the Ministry. Once it is filed, you will be all set to be released in two months."

"Thank you so much, Harry." She smiled at him, but it faltered as she suddenly remembered she had one final thing to ask him. "Harry, when does Professor Snape's case get reviewed?"

Harry's posture stiffened, and his smile started to fade as he began to speak. "I can't talk about other cases, Hermione. That is one of the conditions that Kingsley has placed on me so that I can be your Ministry liaison. You will have to talk with Professor Snape about that."

"Oh, okay." Hermione bit her lip, trying to keep Harry from seeing her emotions, but failing miserably. A lone tear escaped and ran down her cheek.

Harry sighed deeply. "I'm not supposed to tell you anything, but his case is being reviewed as we speak. But that is just between us- don't tell anyone I told you this, including Professor Snape."

Harry watched her nod in understanding, then wipe the tear from her cheek. He stared at her momentarily, then raised his brows as something suddenly seemed to click.

"You really care about him don't you?"

"Of course, I do, Harry. He has been a good friend to me while I've been here. I wouldn't have survived this without him."

"But it's more than that, isn't it?" Harry gave Hermione a questioning look.

She gave him a weary sigh, before speaking quietly. "Yes."

-ooOOoo-

Hermione followed the guard down the long corridor towards the courtyard gates. She was quite familiar with the long walk, and could probably do it in her sleep, blindfolded. It was a good thing that she had the walk memorized, because her thoughts were far from it. Her mind kept replaying the conversation she had with Harry, and also the thoughts she had about Severus prior to that. The rational, practical part of her mind insisted that she wasn't in love with Severus, but in fact, had increased feelings for him simply because he was the only person who had been kind to her in Azkaban.

Her heart, however, was another matter entirely. In the months that she had been in Azkaban, she had stronger feelings for Severus than she had in the years that she had dated Ron. She could feel her heart race when she was near him, and her body ached to touch him, to be closer to him.

Hermione now faced the dilemma of whether to share her feelings with him. The Professor Snape that had taught her had been a stern, and on more than one occasion, cruel man that seemed to keep his emotions buried deep inside. But Severus was a different man. He was kind, caring, and a good friend. She knew that he had to have at least some feelings for her since he had saved her life in the courtyard, but she wondered how deeply those feelings ran. _Is it enough, though?_

Her musings were interrupted by the cool blast of air from the courtyard doors. As Hermione glanced around nervously, she was relieved that Severus was not already outside. She still needed a few minutes to get her emotions in check before she spoke with him.

She had her head leaned back into the block wall, still breathing deeply, when she heard the soft footsteps approach. He quietly sat down beside her, pulling his knees to his chest in the same manner that she had.

"Minerva tells me that you have some news," he spoke softly in his lilting baritone.

Hermione gave him a questioning look as she replied, "I do, but did she not tell you?"

"No, she did not. I believe her exact words were, 'I think you need to hear it from the thestral's mouth.'" His eyes danced with amusement as he spoke to her. "So what is the good news? I presume it has to do with your sentencing review?"

She smiled at him, but the brightness did not reach her eyes. "I will be released in two months. I filled out the paperwork for the Ministry today."

"That is wonderful, Hermione. You don't belong here- you've never belonged here." He returned her smile, but paused before speaking once again. "But why do I get the impression that you aren't happy?"

_It's now or never,_ she thought, before gently grasping one of his hands. "Because I won't be happy if you are still here, Severus."

His eyebrows rose only for a moment, just long enough to register the surprise of her statement. "Why?"

"Because I care about you, Severus. You have been a good friend, and I really don't think I would have made it to this point without you. You saved me when I was at my lowest point, and encouraged me to survive all of this." She waved her hand around, pointing at the walls of Azkaban. "And somewhere along the way, we became friends. Good friends." She swallowed nervously, "I don't want to leave her without you. I want-I want," she trailed off, turning her head so he couldn't see the tears in her eyes.

"What do you want?" He gently cupped her chin, and turned her face towards his own.

"More. I want more."

Severus pulled her head closer and gently placed a chaste kiss on her lips.

"I want more as well," he whispered softly into her ear, and kissed her once again.

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_**A/N...Thank you for all the reviews, along with the get-well wishes for my son. He is finally over the pneumonia, and doing well.**_

_**As usual, reviews are always appreciated!**_


	14. Chapter 13

_**The usual disclaimer applies. I own nothing and make nothing, and if you recognise it, it belongs to the talented J K Rowling.**_

_**So close now...one more chapter and then the epilogue. This hasn't been betaed, and all mistakes are my own (or my two year old's, who occassionally 'helps' me type.)**_

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Chapter 13

Hermione slowly lifted her head and groaned as she slowly pushed herself back into a standing position. She wiped her mouth on the corner of her robes, wishing she still had a wand to perform a _Tergeo_ after revisiting her lunch over the toilet. Although she wasn't ill, she had not managed to keep down a meal in several days due to her frazzled nerves.

It had been two weeks since Severus had kissed her in the courtyard, and he did not show up the last time she was outside, which had been almost a week ago. Her first thought had been that perhaps he was ill, but as the days passed, she had convinced herself that he had regretted kissing her. The thought of ruining the friendship over a kiss, or rather, confessing feelings that may not really be returned was not only playing havoc with her emotions, but making her physically ill as well.

Although she knew that today was her courtyard visitation day, for the first time ever, she was toying with the idea of feigning illness to avoid going out. She knew it was the coward's way out, but she just couldn't face him if she had ruined their friendship.

She was still in the midst of an internal conversation with her conscious when she heard the guard outside of her cell. Even though she had rehearsed her reply several times within the past hour, she cringed when she heard her voice betray her thoughts and reply a quick 'yes' when the guard asked if she was ready to go out.

Hermione had no interest in reading outside, but she still grabbed the latest paperback that Severus had given her and tucked it into her robes. She would rather have it to hide behind than possibly face an uncomfortable or awkward encounter with him in the courtyard. She walked slowly behind the guard, with her head held high, as she walked through the gates.

She gasped slightly when she walked out; shocked that he was already seated in their usual patch of grass. His eyes bore into her own, although he did not smile or show any visible emotion on his face. She breathed deeply to calm herself before walking towards him and sitting beside him.

"Hello, Severus," she said calmly, trying to keep any emotion out of her voice.

He stared at her for several moments, narrowing his eyes, before finally speaking in a formal voice. "Have I done something to offend you, Hermione? You seem upset."

"I-I," she stuttered, then took a deep breath as her resolve crumbled. "I'm not sure. You weren't here last week, and I was wondering if it was my fault. I'm sorry if confessing my feelings put you on the spot." She paused as her voice cracked, and tried to regain composure before speaking once again. "If you regret kissing me-,"

Hermione's eyebrows rose sharply as he interrupted her with a kiss. Unlike two weeks ago, this one wasn't chaste, and she suddenly felt warm all over as his tongue slid into her mouth. As she started to respond equally to the kiss, pulling him closer to her body, they both stopped suddenly when they heard the not-so-subtle clearing of a throat coming from one of the guards.

"Does that seem like regret, Hermione?" His voice was silk as he pulled away from her.

"No," she replied breathlessly, "But where were you? Were you ill?"

"I had a meeting with the representative from the Ministry. My sentence review is now over, and the representative let me know my options."

"Options?" Hermione chewed on her lower lip nervously. Severus's tone of voice did not give her any reason to be optimistic.

"My sentence will be reduced if I agree to all of the Ministry's terms. I believe that most of the conditions were similar to yours, except I would have a tracing spell on my wand that reported all of my casting to the Ministry."

Hermione was silent for several seconds, letting her mind process everything that Severus had just told her. She knew how prideful he could be, and wondered if the conditions were too much for him. "Are you willing to accept the terms, Severus?"

His brows rose sharply, an incredulous expression on his face. "Of course I am! Even with some of the Ministry's ridiculous restrictions, I would rather be free than here." After seeing the startled expression on Hermione's face, he gently rubbed his hand down her cheek and spoke softly to her. "I would do anything the Ministry requires to be free of this place." And he added so quietly, that she barely heard him, "And to be with you."

"When do you get to leave?" she asked excitedly.

"In a year."

Hermione's smile left her face, quickly replaced by a look of horror. "A year? That's-that's awful! I'll be leaving in two months, and you will still be here. I-I," and she stopped speaking when her voice started to choke up. She turned her head quickly to wipe the tears that were now streaming down her face.

Severus pulled her closer, and gently placed a kiss on her forehead. "A year is nothing, Hermione. I've been here almost two; I can survive one more year. It is still better than three more years, and better than I deserve, anyway."

"Better than you deserve?" She raised her voice almost to a shouting level. "You were a spy for the Order, and you saved countless lives with the inside information you gave. You are a hero, Severus." She stood up and started pacing, having to take deep breaths as she continued her tirade. "And what Dumbledore asked of you...it was despicable. To ask you to take his life, and then give you no way to redeem yours. He had no right!"

"Hermione, I am a Death Eater." He pulled his robe up slightly, touching the edge of the faded Dark Mark. "I might have been a spy, but I did some truly horrible things. Three years is barely penitence for my sins."

Hermione started to speak, but he gently placed his finger against her lips to silence her as he continued speaking.

"But," his serious expression slowly turned into a smile, "but I will not continue to dwell on the past. A year is not that long, not if you look at the big picture. As long as I have a lovely witch to visit me weekly and bring me books, I'm sure it will pass quickly."

Hermione smiled and leaned in to wrap her arms around him. "Of course I will visit you Severus, and bring you books. Unless you were speaking of a different witch?"

Severus leaned in to kiss her, but turned his head as he heard the guards approach. He quickly gave her a chaste kiss before heading toward the gate with his guard.

As Hermione followed her own guard towards her cell, she couldn't help but have mixed feelings about her visit with Severus. Although knowing they felt the same towards each other made her heart flutter and her body flush, the thought of spending a year without him terrified her. _It will work out- it has to work out,_ she mentally chanted on the walk back to her cell.

-ooOOoo-

Hermione looked down at the paper that Harry had brought with him, reading through the circled section for a second time. The smile on her face increased as she looked up at him.

"It's perfect, Harry. But I don't know if I still even have an account at Gringotts, let alone enough to cover this."

Harry smiled in return as he took the paper and put it into the pocket in his robes. "Consider it a gift, Hermione. I owe you so much, and it is the least that I can do after everything you did for me when we were on the run. I wouldn't even be here if you weren't with me after the- well, Godric's Hollow." He choked up as he spoke to her.

"It's too much. I just can't let you buy this, Harry. You're getting married and you and Ginny could use the money." Hermione tried to argue, but he just shook his head at her.

"Ginny and I will be fine, Hermione." He ruffled his hair out of nervous frustration. "Then consider it a loan. A long term loan, that you can pay back when you are able. You need a place to live when you leave here, and you already said this would be perfect."

"It is. It really is." She wiped her eyes of the tears that had started to flow, but for once they were tears of happiness. "Thank you, Harry. For everything."

She gave Harry a brief hug as the guard performed the unshackling spell. As she watched him walk out the room, she let out a deep breath that she hadn't even realised she'd been holding. Despite all of the horrible things that had happened to her in the past year, she couldn't help but smile as things finally were starting to go her way.

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_**A/N...Still not totally happy with this chapter, but...I have re-written parts of it several times. Hopefully you still liked it.**_

_**As always, reviews are appreciated!**_


	15. Chapter 14

_**The usual disclaimer applies. I own nothing and make nothing, and if you recognise it, it is because it belongs to J K Rowling.**_

_**This is it...the last chapter before the epilogue. Hopefully this will answer a few of the remaining questions from the story, and everything else will be covered in the epilogue. Thank you for reading, reviewing, and following this story. It means more to me than you know.**_

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Chapter 14

Hermione took a deep breath, inhaling the spring scents that surrounded her in the courtyard. The grass had just started to return to a nice green color; the mosses and lichens on the prison walls growing once again as well. She was enjoying the aromatic fragrance that now permeated her senses with each large inhalation. She closed her eyes, and leaned back against the wall, listening to the faint sound of gulls that had braved the North Sea to stop at Azkaban.

The past few weeks had passed quickly, and Hermione wavered between excitement over being released and dread that Severus would still be remaining. She had cherished every moment of their visits, which still included the occasional book discussion, but lately had included as many moments of intimacy as the guards would allow. Chaste kisses were rarely noticed, but the guards almost always gave disproving glances over deep kisses and soft caresses.

She was gently touching her lips, thinking about the last kiss Severus had given her when she heard his footsteps coming towards her. She swallowed deeply, trying to hold back the tears, as she realised that this would be the last time she saw him before she left Azkaban.

Severus sat down beside her, and gently grasped her hand and started to rub circles on her arm.

"It's almost time." He smiled at her and leaned in to kiss her on the forehead.

"I know." Hermione sighed slightly and turned towards him, offering a hesitant smile. "I'm going to miss you so much, Severus."

"We've talked about this." He grasped one of her short curls, and twirled it between his fingers. "We will see each other just as often when you are released as we do now."

"But it won't be the same."

"It will be better. I will be happy knowing that you are starting a new life, Hermione." He repositioned his body so that he was facing her. "Have you given any thought to what I asked you last week. I did not mean to upset you, but it is something you needed to think about."

_My parents, _she thought sadly. Yes, she had given plenty of thought to whether she would contact her parents once she was released. She wavered back and forth with the decision until she had met with Harry. That discussion had been more than insightful, and it hurt her more deeply than even her conviction.

"I'm not going to contact them. They no longer want to be involved in my life, and they have made that abundantly clear." Her voice had lost all trace of emotion as she turned away from him.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Positive." She steel in her voice started to waver as she spoke once again. "Did you know that Harry contacted them after my attack? When I was en route to St. Mungo's, before anyone knew whether I would live? Harry spoke to them personally, and told them they would be allowed to see me, and they refused. Harry told me that they had made peace with the decision to prosecute me, and that they had decided once I was sent here...," she choked on the words and had to pause, "...that I was no longer their daughter. They said that I had made the decision for them when I tampered with their memories."

"Hermione, I'm so sorry." He pulled her closer and ran his fingers gently up and down her arms.

She wiped the tears from her eyes, and tried to smile at him. "Can we talk about something else, please? I don't want to be sad when I have to say goodbye."

"Of course." He replied quickly, shifting slightly closer to her before speaking once again. "What are your immediate plans once you leave with Mr. Potter."

"Harry, you can call him Harry." Her lips curled up almost into a smile. "He is taking me to Grimmauld Place for a shower, and to change clothes. Ginny bought me some clothes so I don't have to go anywhere looking like this." She tugged on the threadbare robes and looked down at them with disdain.

They continued to talk about her plans until a faint noise distracted her.

Hermione looked towards the gate and gasped, letting out a small sob as her guard started walking towards them. Severus turned his head sharply, then gave a knowing look when he realised the source of her distress.

"It's not goodbye, Hermione. I will see you soon. Please take care of yourself." He gently grasped her chin, and turned her head towards his. He leaned forward and kissed her, gently twining his fingers in her hair to pull her closer.

She returned the kiss with a passion that had been restrained since before she had come to Azkaban. In this instant, she knew that Severus meant more to her than anything else.

-ooOOoo-

Hermione walked solemnly towards the door, wiping a stray tear from the corner of her mouth before entering the room. This should be a happy day, yet it was bittersweet. In less than an hour, she would be a free woman, yet the man she cared for more than anything would still be staying.

It had been almost a week since she had seen Severus, and it would be at least another week before she could get back to visit him. There was so much to do once she was free, the most important being getting settled into her new flat. And she had to fill out papers once she was free to get on the approved visitor's list, which could take more than a week to get everything approved and through the red tape of the Ministry. Why she had to fill out all those forms was beyond comprehension, since her life had been an open book thanks to the trial.

She was brought back to the present when she heard her guard clear his throat as he motioned for her to take a seat.

Hermione sat down at the table, and was momentarily taken aback when her hands and ankles weren't restrained. _Of course I wouldn't be restrained today,_ she shook her head slightly at the thought. Within a few minutes, Harry and two Aurors that she wasn't familiar with came through the door. Harry smiled radiantly at her, and she couldn't help but return the smile.

"Today is the day." Harry grasped her hand tightly as he pulled paperwork out of his robes. "I'm so happy for you Hermione. You should never have been here...even the one year was one year too many."

"Thank you, Harry." Hermione knew she should say more, but she was unable to put into words all that she needed to thank him for. He, along with Minerva, worked tirelessly to get her sentence reduced or get a new trial, and without the both of them, she doubted she would be leaving today.

It was quiet for several moments before Harry pushed the paperwork in front of her, explaining in detail what each piece of parchment was for. One page was acknowledgment of the restrictions placed upon her, and several other ones explained how many years her prison record would stay on public documents, possibly hindering job opportunities. She finally reached the final sheet, and paused when she read it.

"Don't sign that one yet. You need to have this before you can sign it." Harry reached into his robes and pulled out her wand. She stared at the familiar piece of wood for several seconds before Harry gingerly placed it in her fingertips, watching the tears appear in her eyes as she took it. "This form acknowledges that the Ministry has returned your wand, and that you are now a free woman. Once you sign it, you need to touch your wand to your signature to make it legal."

Hermione signed her name, and gingerly pointed her wand at the signature. It was a strange sensation performing magic since she had not been allowed to in more than a year. Yet it did not feel foreign to her; it felt like getting reacquainted with an old friend.

She handed all of the documents back to Harry, and watched his silent communication with the guards. No words were spoken, but a simple nod of heads let her know that she was now free to go.

The walked out of a door that she had not been through in almost a year, and her heart raced as she walked through the corridor towards another gate. The final gate between her old life and freedom. As Harry pulled the gate open, she gasped as she saw the small patch of grass, and beyond that, the rocks surrounding the prison. Her gaze drifted upwards, and she watched in fascination as the waves of the North Sea battered along the wizard-made coast of the island.

Harry gently squeezed her hand, and she turned towards him to look at the smile on his face. They walked several more paces beyond the prison walls, and then stopped once they were within several feet of the water.

"Are you ready to go?"

She thought about it for a moment, thinking about all that happened the past year. _Am I ready? _She smiled at Harry, and nodded affirmatively.

Hermione Granger was more than ready to start a new life. She would leave her old life behind, and plan for a future that she had almost dismissed a year ago. And, fate willing, she would be living it with the man she loved, _yes, loved,_ within another year.

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_**A/N...Again, thank you for reading. As always reviews are appreciated. Just the epilogue remains, and hopefully I can have that posted within the next two weeks.**_


	16. Epilogue

_**The usual applies. I own nothing and make nothing, and if you recognise it, it belongs to J K Rowling.**_

_**This is it...we are finally at the end. I thought I would just mention that there might be just a bit of OOC in this chapter, and further explanation will be in the Author's Notes at the end.**_

_**This chapter wasn't betaed. I was in such a hurry to get it posted, that I didn't get it double checked for errors. So I apologise in advance for any mistakes.**_

_**Thank you for reading and enjoy!**_

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Epilogue

Severus slowly walked down the long corridor that he had been down only once before. Only one room stood in his way before _freedom. _He had been here for three years, and had finally finished his sentence. He was hesitant to follow the guard, and although he would never admit it, he was worried that no one would be there to greet him, other than Ministry representatives. Disappointment was nothing new to him, but in the past two years, he had finally allowed himself to feel just the tiniest bit of hope. And... _she_ promised _she_ would be there. She had visited him regularly until the past two months, but he had not heard from her at all since then, and Minerva would not tell him anything as well. A slight uneasiness was building in him as he thought of the possible reasons for her not visiting. He shook the thoughts from his head, putting up his protective shields as they reached the door.

The guard opened the door, and Severus let out his breath when he saw her there. Hermione smiled at him, and he couldn't help but let his eyes rove down her body. She had on robes of a deep chocolate brown that brought out the flecks of amber in her eyes. Her hair was pulled up into a loose twist, with curly tendrils escaping and framing her face. She walked towards him and gently grasped his hand, leading him towards the paperwork that would finally free him.

-ooOOoo-

They both stood at the Apparation point outside of Azkaban, and he watched as she slowly pulled something out of her robes.

"An Auror is supposed to give this to you, for the final piece of paperwork, but Harry let me bend the rules a bit." She smiled at Severus as she placed the ebony wand in his palm. "It's official now." She leaned into him and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "You are free."

"I-I...thank you, Hermione." He mumbled, seemingly lost for words.

"Are you ready?" She smiled at him, squeezing his hand gently as she pulled him closer.

"Yes." He replied hesitantly, giving her a questioning look by raising his eyebrow slightly. "Although I don't know where we are going. My home..," he started, shaking his head slightly, "...it is gone. I..,"

Hermione cut him off with a chaste kiss on the lips. "I know Severus. The Ministry-," she stopped and shook her head slightly. "My flat was gone as well." She looked up and smiled at him before speaking once again. "I have a surprise for you. I know you aren't fond of surprises, but I think you will like this one. I have a portkey since you haven't Apparated in more than three years, and I think it will be easier on you than side-along."

She gave him a quick kiss before the familiar tug took them away.

-ooOOoo-

Severus stood in place, breathing quickly as he waited for the nausea to pass. As he started to look around, he momentarily panicked as the the cobblestone streets and buildings reminded him too much of Diagon Alley. As he looked closely at the signs on the buildings, he breathed a sigh of relief when he realised he wasn't in Diagon Alley, or even Great Britain or Scotland for that matter.

"The signs...they are," he mumbled as he tried to form a cohesive thought. "Where are we?" he finally asked.

"Sráidbhaile Draíochta Aois," she smiled at him once again. "I'm sure I didn't come close to pronouncing that correctly. It translates loosely to 'village of old magic.' We are in southern Ireland, not too far from Kenmare. I guess you could say this is the Diagon Alley of Ireland."

They slowly walked down the cobblestone street, and he looked in the shop windows since he wasn't familiar enough with the language to read the signs. Walking past a half dozen shops, they finally stopped in front of a store that had a much newer sign. He gazed at the window, and smiled as he saw the display of books.

"As much as I love books, I'm afraid that I do not have the Galleons to purchase any at the moment."

"Well, then I guess it is a good thing that I know the proprietor of this shop. Quite well, actually." She smiled at him as she waited for him to comprehend what she was hinting at.

He stared at her for several moments, before his eyebrows rose sharply as he figured it out. "This is your shop?"

"Yes. Follow me," she grasped his hand and gently pulled him into the shop. "Harry saw it for sale right before I was released. It was already a bookstore, but the owner was retiring and wanted to sell the shop. Harry wanted to give me the money to buy it, but I insisted on it being a loan." She ran her hand down the spine of a book, then looked up at him. "I've done pretty well, and have already paid back most of the loan."

He glanced around the shop, looking at the rows of books, before making his way towards the middle of the store. He looked at the empty space ahead, and then over at her, giving her a puzzled expression. "Are you planning on expanding?"

"The owner had planned to before he decided to retire, and this half of the store had originally been another shop before he took the wall down."

"Why haven't you expanded, if you are doing so well?"

"Well, I kind of thought that it might be more useful for the town to have an apothecary. The residents have to Apparate to either Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade for potions, since they don't have a potions master here." She gave him a devious smile.

"You did this for me?" His voice was incredulous. "But...why?" He asked much more softly, confusion evident in his tone.

"Because I care about you, because you deserve it...because I could." Hermione looked up at him and gently pushed his hair away from his face. "But mostly, because _I love you_, Severus Snape."

"Oh, Hermione," he paused and wiped a tear from his cheek. "This-this...no one has ever done anything like this for me." He put his hand around her waist, pulling her body close to his. He leaned in quickly, crashing his lips into hers. Once their lips met, he slowed down and let her take the lead, gently opening his mouth to her tongue. Neither one wanted the kiss to end, but their lips finally parted when they both needed to catch their breath.

Once they had both separated, Hermione grasped his hand and pulled him towards the backroom behind the register.

"If you don't mind, I have one more thing that I would like to show you," she spoke quietly as she pulled him towards the stairs in the small room.

As they reached the top of the stairs, Severus's eyes widened as he glanced around the open room. It was a perfect mix of Muggle and wizarding style, and he smiled as he gazed at the two comfortable looking chairs facing the fireplace.

"You have a lovely flat, Hermione." He walked through the sitting room, his hands grazing the books on the bookshelves as he headed towards the kitchen.

"Thank you," she said as she walked into the kitchen. "Would you like some tea?"

"That would be wonderful."

Severus walked back into the sitting room, and perused the books once more as he had a seat. As he read the titles of each book, his brows rose in shock as he recognised not only many of the titles, but the books themselves.

"Hermione, are these-," but he stopped as she came back into the room with the teacups.

"Yes, they are your books, Severus. I thought...," she paused for a moment, a nervous expression on her face. "I thought that you would feel more welcome in your home with your own books."

"I know it was presumptuous of me, but-," she stopped speaking as he pulled her down toward him, silencing her with a kiss.

Hermione pulled away slowly, slightly panting as she tried to catch her breath. "So I take it that that is a yes? That you are okay with this?"

"Of course it's a yes, you daft woman." The corner of his lip quirked up as he spoke. "But are you positive that you want to do this? I'm not an easy man to live with."

"Severus, I've wanted to do this ever since we had the conversation about the future in the courtyard. I know this isn't Greece or Spain, or somewhere warm, but it still seemed perfect." She gently ran her hand down his cheek as she continued. "There are so many reasons I want to do this. You made the potion to cure me with the polyjuice accident in my second year, and you saved me from Professor Lupin when he was changed. And all the things you did that we were unaware of at the time while we were on the run." She leaned closer and kissed his neck, "But mostly, because I love you."

"Hermione, I...," he turned her head towards him, and started kissing her, wrapping his arms tightly around her as he deepened the kiss. As he started to pull away, he whispered so softly, that she only barely heard him. "I love you, too."

Hermione's smile was radiant as she pulled away from him. "Would you like to see the rest of our home?"

_Our Home,_ he thought as she pulled him towards one of the rooms. He had lived at Hogwarts most of his life, and when he wasn't there, he lived at Spinner's End. But neither of those had been home...not really. He now had a job, a home, and someone who not only wanted to be with him, but loved him as well. It may have taken him forty-two years to get to this point, but he wasn't going to waste even another minute of it.

"Yes," he replied smiling, ready to start his new life.

-fin-

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_**A/N...Okay, I've got a lot to say this time since this is the end of the story, lol.**_

_**First, my OOC warning was for Severus getting emotional. Although I personally don't see this as OOC for him, considering he did cry over Lily in the flashbacks in DH, I've been told to give this warning just in case others might think differently.**_

_**And I have very little knowledge about Ireland. So I apologise if my little bit of research isn't accurate. I used heavily from some tourist sights and Google Translate for the village name. **_

_**Lastly, I'm still not 100% satisfied with this chapter, but visualising it in your head and writing it are two very different things. This is how I wanted it to end, but I always struggle a bit with the dialogue. I also wanted the ending to be very open- in my own mind, they are a bit on the broken side after staying in Azkaban, so I just couldn't write the whole 'happily married, white picket fence house and two kids' ending, at least not at this point, and this is where I wanted it to end. If you see it that way, that's great- but I just left it up to the reader what happens next.**_

_**Thank you for reading, and your reviews are very much appreciated!**_

_**-snapefan520-**_


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